VA-003 Explain encryption as a service Practice Question
An application needs to encrypt sensitive data before storing it in a database. The security team wants to use Vault's encryption as a service to avoid managing encryption keys. Which Vault secrets engine should they enable?
⚠ Common exam trap
HashiCorp often tests the distinction between a secrets engine that stores secrets (KV v2) and one that processes cryptographic operations (Transit), leading candidates to mistakenly choose KV v2 because they think 'storing encrypted data' is the same as 'encrypting data'.
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
✓
Transit
The Transit secrets engine is designed specifically for encryption as a service, allowing applications to encrypt and decrypt data without ever having direct access to the encryption keys. The keys are stored and managed entirely within Vault, which meets the security team's requirement to avoid managing encryption keys themselves.
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
Why it's wrong here
AWS secrets engine generates dynamic AWS credentials, not encryption.
- ✗
KV v2
Why it's wrong here
KV v2 stores secrets but does not provide encryption/decryption operations.
- ✗
Consul
Why it's wrong here
Consul is not a Vault secrets engine; it's a service mesh tool.
- ✓
Transit
Why this is correct
The Transit engine is designed for encryption/decryption, signing, and HMAC operations without exposing keys.
- ✗
PKI
Why it's wrong here
PKI handles certificate issuance and management, not encryption of arbitrary data.
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About these practice questions
One of 498 original VA-003 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This VA-003 practice question is part of Courseiva's free HashiCorp 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 VA-003 exam.