DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
A company is designing a data lake on AWS using Amazon S3. The data includes sensitive customer information that must be encrypted at rest. The company requires that encryption keys be managed by AWS, but the keys must be rotated automatically every year. Which TWO options meet these requirements? (Choose TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume SSE-KMS with automatic key rotation is the only option for automatic rotation, but SSE-S3 also provides automatic annual rotation, and the question specifically requires AWS-managed keys, making both SSE-S3 and SSE-KMS with automatic rotation valid.
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
✓
Use Server-Side Encryption with Amazon S3-Managed Keys (SSE-S3).
SSE-S3 is correct because it provides server-side encryption where AWS manages the encryption keys entirely, including automatic annual rotation. This meets the requirement of encryption at rest with AWS-managed keys and automatic yearly rotation without any additional configuration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use Server-Side Encryption with Amazon S3-Managed Keys (SSE-S3).
Why this is correct
SSE-S3 automatically rotates keys every year.
- ✗
Use client-side encryption with an AWS KMS key.
Why it's wrong here
Client-side encryption is managed by the client, not AWS.
- ✗
Use Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys (SSE-C).
Why it's wrong here
SSE-C requires the customer to manage and rotate keys.
- ✗
Use Server-Side Encryption with AWS KMS-Managed Keys (SSE-KMS) with manual key rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Manual rotation does not meet the automatic rotation requirement.
- ✓
Use Server-Side Encryption with AWS KMS-Managed Keys (SSE-KMS) with automatic key rotation enabled.
Why this is correct
KMS keys can be configured for automatic annual rotation.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
Related to this question
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DEA-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services 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 DEA-C01 exam.