DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A data engineer is designing a data lake on S3 and needs to ensure that data is encrypted at rest using customer-managed KMS keys. The engineer also needs to audit all access to the KMS keys. Which combination of services 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-KMS with AWS CloudTrail
SSE-KMS allows customer-managed KMS keys, and AWS CloudTrail logs all KMS API calls (e.g., Decrypt, GenerateDataKey), enabling auditing. Option B is incorrect because SSE-C uses customer-provided encryption keys, not KMS, and CloudWatch Logs is for application logs, not KMS access. Option C is incorrect because S3 Inventory provides object metadata but does not audit KMS access. Option D is incorrect because SSE-S3 uses AWS-managed keys, not customer-managed, and S3 server access logs do not capture KMS API calls.
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 with AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
SSE-KMS encrypts S3 objects with customer-managed KMS keys, satisfying the encryption-at-rest requirement. CloudTrail records every KMS API call, including Encrypt, Decrypt and GenerateDataKey, delivering the key-access audit trail. Together they meet both constraints: customer-managed keys plus auditable key usage.
- ✗
SSE-C with CloudWatch Logs
Why it's wrong here
SSE-C uses customer-provided encryption keys held outside AWS KMS, so no KMS key access exists to audit; CloudWatch Logs captures application output, not key usage. SSE-C suits clients managing their own key material, but the requirement for customer-managed KMS keys with key-access auditing demands SSE-KMS plus CloudTrail.
- ✗
SSE-KMS with S3 Inventory
Why it's wrong here
S3 Inventory lists objects and their encryption status on a schedule; it does not record KMS key operations, so key access remains unaudited. Inventory suits storage reporting and lifecycle reconciliation, whereas the stated auditing requirement needs CloudTrail, which logs every KMS Decrypt, Encrypt and GenerateDataKey call.
- ✗
SSE-S3 with S3 server access logs
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 uses AWS-owned keys, not customer-managed KMS keys, and S3 server access logs record object requests rather than KMS key operations. SSE-S3 suits baseline encryption with no key management overhead, but auditing customer-managed key usage requires SSE-KMS with CloudTrail data events.
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.