The answer is to use HTTPS for the connection and to implement an S3 VPC endpoint. HTTPS encrypts data in transit between EC2 and S3 using TLS, which secures the entire HTTP request and response payload along with headers from eavesdropping or tampering, making it a direct method to protect data in transit. The S3 VPC endpoint ensures that traffic between your VPC and S3 stays within the AWS network, never traversing the public internet, which eliminates exposure to internet-based threats. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of network security controls versus encryption protocols—a common trap is confusing encryption in transit (HTTPS) with network isolation (VPC endpoints), as both are valid but serve different purposes. Remember the memory tip: “HTTPS hides the data, endpoints hide the route.”
SOA-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which TWO actions can be used to protect data in transit between an EC2 instance and an S3 bucket? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use HTTPS instead of HTTP when accessing S3 from the EC2 instance.
Option C is correct because HTTPS encrypts the data in transit between the EC2 instance and S3 using TLS, protecting it from eavesdropping or tampering. This ensures that the HTTP request and response payload, as well as headers, are encrypted over the network, which is a direct method to protect data in transit.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Configure security group rules on the EC2 instance to allow only S3 traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Security groups control access but do not encrypt traffic.
✗
Apply an S3 bucket policy that denies access unless the request includes the x-amz-server-side-encryption header.
Use S3 VPC endpoints to ensure traffic between the VPC and S3 does not traverse the internet.
Why this is correct
VPC endpoints keep traffic within the AWS network, reducing exposure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing encryption in transit (HTTPS) with encryption at rest (SSE-S3 or bucket policies requiring encryption headers), leading candidates to select options that protect data only after it reaches S3 rather than during network transmission.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
HTTPS uses TLS 1.2 or 1.3 to establish an encrypted tunnel between the client (EC2) and the S3 endpoint, protecting the full HTTP request/response from man-in-the-middle attacks. S3 VPC endpoints (Option E) use AWS PrivateLink to route traffic within the AWS network without traversing the public internet, which reduces exposure but does not inherently encrypt the data; combining a VPC endpoint with HTTPS provides both network isolation and encryption. In practice, compliance frameworks like PCI DSS require encryption in transit, making HTTPS mandatory even when using VPC endpoints.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use HTTPS instead of HTTP when accessing S3 from the EC2 instance. — Option C is correct because HTTPS encrypts the data in transit between the EC2 instance and S3 using TLS, protecting it from eavesdropping or tampering. This ensures that the HTTP request and response payload, as well as headers, are encrypted over the network, which is a direct method to protect data in transit.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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