DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A company wants to encrypt data at rest in Amazon S3 using server-side encryption. They need to manage the encryption keys themselves and rotate them annually. Which S3 encryption option should they use?
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 (Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys) allows customers to provide their own encryption keys, manage them, and rotate them as needed. SSE-S3 uses AWS-managed keys, offering no customer control over key management. SSE-KMS uses AWS KMS keys, where AWS manages the key material, though customers can manage key policies and automatic rotation. Client-side encryption is not server-side and does not meet the requirement. Therefore, SSE-C is the correct 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.
- ✗
SSE-KMS
Why it's wrong here
SSE-KMS uses AWS KMS keys, but the customer still does not manage the key material directly; AWS manages the KMS key.
- ✗
SSE-S3
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 uses AWS-managed keys, not customer-managed.
- ✓
SSE-C
Why this is correct
SSE-C allows the customer to provide their own encryption keys and manage them.
- ✗
Client-side encryption
Why it's wrong here
Client-side encryption is not server-side encryption; it encrypts data before sending to S3.
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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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.