The answer is AWS managed keys (aws/xxx), as they have automatic annual rotation enabled by default, making them the only KMS key type that guarantees yearly rotation without any additional configuration. This is because AWS managed keys are created and managed by AWS on your behalf for use with integrated services like S3 and RDS, and their rotation policy is fixed to 365 days. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of the four KMS key types and their rotation capabilities—a common trap is assuming customer managed keys rotate automatically, but they require explicit enabling, while AWS owned keys and custom key stores do not support customer-controlled rotation at all. To remember this, think of the acronym “MAC” for Managed, Automatic, and Customer-controlled: AWS managed keys are the only ones with Mandatory Automatic rotation, whereas Customer managed keys need you to flip the switch.
DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data security and governance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company uses AWS KMS to encrypt data in Amazon S3 and RDS. They need to ensure that encryption keys are automatically rotated every year. Which KMS key type supports automatic annual rotation?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS managed keys (aws/xxx)
AWS managed keys (AWS-managed KMS keys) have automatic rotation enabled by default every year. Customer managed keys can also have automatic rotation enabled optionally. AWS owned keys are not visible to the customer and cannot be managed. Custom key stores do not support automatic rotation. Option B is wrong because customer managed keys require explicit enabling of rotation. Option C is wrong because AWS owned keys are not customer-accessible. Option D is wrong because custom key stores do not support automatic rotation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
AWS owned keys
Why it's wrong here
AWS owned keys are not visible to customers and cannot be used for customer-controlled encryption.
✓
AWS managed keys (aws/xxx)
Why this is correct
AWS managed keys rotate automatically every year.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Customer managed keys
Why it's wrong here
Customer managed keys can have automatic rotation enabled, but it is not automatic by default; the customer must enable it.
✗
Custom key stores
Why it's wrong here
Custom key stores (CloudHSM) do not support automatic key rotation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Data Security and Governance — This question tests Data Security and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS managed keys (aws/xxx) — AWS managed keys (AWS-managed KMS keys) have automatic rotation enabled by default every year. Customer managed keys can also have automatic rotation enabled optionally. AWS owned keys are not visible to the customer and cannot be managed. Custom key stores do not support automatic rotation. Option B is wrong because customer managed keys require explicit enabling of rotation. Option C is wrong because AWS owned keys are not customer-accessible. Option D is wrong because custom key stores do not support automatic rotation.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 uses AWS KMS to encrypt data in Amazon S3. The security team requires that all encryption keys be rotated automatically every year. Which key type should the company use?
medium
A.Use a customer managed key with automatic rotation enabled
B.Use the default S3 managed encryption key (SSE-S3)
C.Use an AWS managed key (aws/s3)
✓ D.Use a customer managed key with manual rotation
Why D: AWS managed keys (AWS-managed KMS keys) are automatically rotated every year. Customer managed keys do not rotate automatically unless configured with a custom rotation period. The correct answer is C because AWS managed keys satisfy the requirement of automatic yearly rotation without additional configuration.
Variation 2. A company uses AWS KMS to encrypt data at rest in Amazon S3. The security team requires that all encryption keys be automatically rotated every year. Which key type should be used to meet this requirement without manual intervention?
medium
A.Use a customer managed key with automatic rotation enabled.
B.Use an imported key material because it supports automatic rotation.
C.Use a KMS key generated by S3 on each object upload.
✓ D.Use an AWS managed key (aws/s3).
Why D: AWS managed keys (AWS_KMS) are automatically rotated annually. Customer managed keys (CMK) support automatic rotation but require manual enablement; however, the question specifies 'without manual intervention'. AWS managed keys are rotated automatically every year. Option A is wrong because customer managed keys require manual enablement of rotation. Option B is wrong because imported key material cannot be rotated. Option C is correct as described. Option D is wrong because KMS does not generate keys on demand for S3; S3 uses a bucket key or CMK.
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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.
Question Discussion
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