DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A company stores sensitive data in Amazon S3. The security team requires that all data be encrypted at rest and that the encryption keys be stored in AWS CloudHSM. Which S3 encryption option should be used?
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
✓
SSE-C
SSE-C allows customers to provide their own encryption keys, which can be stored in CloudHSM. SSE-S3 and SSE-KMS use AWS-managed keys or KMS keys, not CloudHSM. Option D is correct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SSE-S3
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 uses Amazon S3 managed keys, not CloudHSM.
- ✗
SSE-KMS with an AWS managed key
Why it's wrong here
AWS managed keys are not stored in the customer's CloudHSM.
- ✗
SSE-KMS with a customer managed key
Why it's wrong here
KMS uses hardware security modules (HSMs) but not customer's CloudHSM cluster.
- ✓
SSE-C
Why this is correct
SSE-C allows the customer to provide their own encryption keys, which can be stored and managed in CloudHSM.
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
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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.