CAS-004 Security Architecture Practice Question
An organization is implementing a hybrid cloud architecture and must ensure secure connectivity between its on-premises network and a public cloud VPC. The traffic includes sensitive data that must not traverse the internet. The solution must provide high bandwidth and low latency. Which connectivity option should the architect choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates may choose a VPN because it encrypts traffic, but the question's hard constraint is that traffic must not traverse the internet — only Direct Connect satisfies that, and encryption can be layered on top separately.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Direct Connect
AWS Direct Connect provides a dedicated private network connection between on-premises and AWS that does not traverse the internet, delivering high bandwidth and consistent low latency. It is the only option that satisfies both the 'must not traverse the internet' and 'high bandwidth, low latency' requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
AWS Direct Connect
Why this is correct
AWS Direct Connect establishes a dedicated private network link from on-premises infrastructure to the VPC, keeping sensitive traffic off the internet. It delivers the required high bandwidth and low latency, satisfying the stem's explicit prohibition on internet traversal.
- ✗
Site-to-Site VPN over the internet
Why it's wrong here
A site-to-site VPN carries traffic across the public internet, violating the requirement that sensitive data never traverse it. It is tempting because IPsec encryption protects confidentiality cheaply, and a VPN would be correct where internet transport is acceptable and bandwidth needs are modest.
- ✗
AWS Client VPN
Why it's wrong here
AWS Client VPN establishes encrypted tunnels over the public internet, which directly violates the requirement that sensitive data must not traverse the internet. It is tempting because it provides remote user access to a VPC via a standard VPN client, and would be correct for a scenario where individual teleworkers need secure, client-initiated connections to cloud resources without dedicated private circuits.
- ✗
Internet gateway with encryption
Why it's wrong here
An internet gateway routes traffic over the public internet, so sensitive data would traverse it despite encryption. It is tempting because encryption appears to secure the path, and an internet gateway would be correct for public-facing workloads, not private hybrid connectivity.
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This CAS-005 question is part of Courseiva's 973-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAS-005 exam.