DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A company uses AWS Glue to process data from Amazon S3. The data contains personally identifiable information (PII). The data engineer needs to automatically detect and mask PII fields before the data is loaded into Amazon Redshift. Which combination of AWS services should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
DEA-C01 often tests the assumption that any AWS service with 'access' or 'analyzer' in its name can detect PII — candidates pick IAM Access Analyzer or S3 Object Lambda instead of Macie, which is the only service purpose-built for PII discovery.
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
✓
Amazon Macie and AWS Glue
Amazon Macie uses machine learning to automatically discover and classify PII in S3 data, and AWS Glue can then apply transforms (e.g., via a Glue ETL job or Glue Studio) to mask or redact those fields before loading into Redshift. Macie identifies sensitive data locations, and Glue performs the masking during the ETL pipeline, satisfying the requirement to detect and mask PII automatically.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Amazon Macie and AWS Glue
Why this is correct
Amazon Macie uses managed and custom data identifiers to detect PII in S3, publishing findings that drive the masking logic. AWS Glue then applies those detections during ETL, masking fields before writing to Redshift. Together they deliver automated detection and masking without manual schema inspection.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch Logs and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs is for log monitoring, not PII detection. Lambda could mask but detection is missing.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Object Lambda and AWS Glue
Why it's wrong here
S3 Object Lambda modifies data on retrieval, but Glue reads from S3 directly; not the typical pattern for ETL masking.
- ✗
AWS IAM Access Analyzer and AWS Glue
Why it's wrong here
IAM Access Analyzer analyzes resource policies, not data content.
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 |
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on DEA-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is using AWS Glue to process data stored in Amazon S3. The data includes personally identifiable information (PII) that must be masked before being written to a separate output bucket. Which AWS service or feature can be used to automatically detect and mask sensitive data in the Glue ETL job?
hard- A.Configure CloudWatch Logs to filter and mask PII.
- ✓ B.Use Amazon Macie to identify sensitive data and apply masking logic in the Glue job.
- C.Use an IAM policy to restrict access to the PII columns.
- D.Enable S3 Object Lock on the output bucket.
Why B: Amazon Macie is a data security service that uses machine learning to automatically discover, classify, and protect sensitive data in S3. It can identify PII and other sensitive data. In a Glue ETL job, you can use Macie to detect sensitive data and then apply masking logic, such as using Glue's built-in transforms or custom scripts, before writing to the output bucket.
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
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.