DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A company uses Amazon DynamoDB to store session data. The security team requires that all data be encrypted at rest using a customer-managed KMS key. The data engineer has enabled encryption with a KMS key, but discovers that old data remains encrypted with the previous AWS-managed key. How can the engineer re-encrypt all existing data with the new key?
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
✓
Export the table to S3 using DynamoDB Export to S3, then import using DynamoDB Import from S3 with the new encryption key specified
Exporting the table to S3 and then importing it with a new KMS key re-encrypts all data at rest using the new key. Option A is wrong because disabling and re-enabling encryption does not re-encrypt existing data; DynamoDB does not support in-place re-encryption of existing items. Option B is wrong because AWS Backup restores the table with the original encryption; it does not allow specifying a new key for existing data. Option C is wrong because changing the encryption key only applies to new writes; there is no 'Apply to existing data' option in the DynamoDB console.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disable and re-enable encryption with the new KMS key
Why it's wrong here
Only affects new data.
- ✗
Use AWS Backup to back up the table and restore it with the new encryption key
Why it's wrong here
Backup/restore preserves the original encryption.
- ✗
Use the DynamoDB console to change the encryption key and select 'Apply to existing data'
Why it's wrong here
No such option exists.
- ✓
Export the table to S3 using DynamoDB Export to S3, then import using DynamoDB Import from S3 with the new encryption key specified
Why this is correct
Export/Import re-encrypts data.
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.