Private EC2 to S3 Connection with VPC Endpoint

SAA-C03 By islever Editorial Last updated

Design secure access to AWS resources.

Short answer

A Set up S3 bucket policies to allow access from a VPC endpoint to ensure traffic remains within the AWS network.

Question

A company’s website hosted on Amazon EC2 instances processes classified data stored in Amazon S3. Due to security concerns, the company requires a private and secure connection between its EC2 resources and Amazon S3. Which solution meets these requirements?
  1. Set up S3 bucket policies to allow access from a VPC endpoint. Correct Answer
  2. Set up an IAM policy to grant read-write access to the S3 bucket.
  3. Set up a NAT gateway to access resources outside the private subnet.
  4. Set up an access key ID and a secret access key to access the S3 bucket.

Key Takeaways

The question tests network architecture for secure service access; the common trap is confusing authorization mechanisms (IAM/Policy) with network connectivity solutions (VPC Endpoint).

Learn how to establish a private and secure connection between Amazon EC2 instances and Amazon S3 using VPC Endpoints, ensuring traffic never traverses the public internet.

Common mistake: Many learners choose IAM policies or Access Keys because they focus on authentication rather than the requirement for a 'private and secure connection' which implies network isolation.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

A VPC Endpoint (specifically a Gateway Endpoint for S3) allows resources within a VPC to communicate with S3 privately without using public IP addresses or traversing the internet. By setting up bucket policies to allow access only from the VPC endpoint ID, you enforce both network-level security (no internet exposure) and authorization, meeting the strict requirements for classified data.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option B (IAM policy) and Option D (Access Keys) handle identity and permission but do not provide a private network path; traffic would still go over the public internet unless routed through an endpoint. Option C (NAT Gateway) provides outbound internet access for private subnets but routes traffic via the public internet, violating the 'private connection' requirement.

Community Comment Notes

Community consensus strongly favors A, noting that the question emphasizes 'connection' security rather than just access rights. One user highlighted that while IAM controls access, the VPC Endpoint ensures the transport itself is private, which is critical for classified data.

Official Reference

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/vpc/latest/privatelink/vpc-endpoints.html

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

When a question asks for a 'private connection' to AWS services like S3 or DynamoDB, always look for VPC Endpoints first. Distinguish between controlling who can access (IAM) and how traffic reaches the service (Networking/VPC).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a NAT Gateway insufficient for private S3 access?

A NAT Gateway routes traffic through the public internet, whereas a VPC Endpoint keeps traffic entirely within the AWS private network.

Can IAM policies alone satisfy the private connection requirement?

No, IAM policies control permissions but do not restrict the network path; traffic can still traverse the public internet.

More SAA-C03 FAQ →

Community Votes

A
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 4 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 4

  1. sandordini 👍 7 Answered A
    I think this question asks about the connection not about authorization, and for a secure S3 connection (e.g. without internet exposure, etc. ) should be a VPC endpoint.
  2. Ashy1313 👍 7 Answered A
    A VPC endpoint enables customers to privately connect to supported AWS services .
  3. Darshan07 👍 3 Answered A
    A is the correct answer
  4. Naveena_Devanga 👍 1
    D is the correct answer.

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