DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A data engineer manages an AWS Glue ETL job that processes sensitive customer records stored in Amazon S3. The security team mandates that all data at rest in the S3 bucket be encrypted with AWS KMS keys, and that the Glue job have the minimum permissions necessary to read and write data. The engineer creates a KMS key and configures the S3 bucket to use SSE-KMS with that key. Which additional step is required to allow the Glue job to access the encrypted data?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that S3 bucket policies or network configurations can grant KMS permissions, when actually KMS key access requires IAM policies or KMS key policies.
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
✓
Attach an IAM policy to the Glue job's execution role that allows kms:Decrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey on the KMS key.
For an AWS Glue job to read and write SSE-KMS encrypted S3 objects, its execution role must have IAM permissions for kms:Decrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey on the specific KMS key. S3 bucket policies do not control KMS key access, and switching encryption types would violate requirements. VPC endpoints address network connectivity, not authorization.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Attach an IAM policy to the Glue job's execution role that allows kms:Decrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey on the KMS key.
Why this is correct
The Glue job's execution role must have explicit permissions to use the KMS key for both reading (kms:Decrypt) and writing (kms:GenerateDataKey) encrypted objects. Without these permissions, the job cannot decrypt source data or encrypt output. This is the minimum required step to enable access while adhering to least privilege.
- ✗
Modify the S3 bucket policy to grant the Glue service principal kms:Decrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey permissions.
Why it's wrong here
S3 bucket policies govern access to S3 resources, not KMS keys. KMS key permissions are managed through KMS key policies and IAM policies. Granting KMS permissions in an S3 bucket policy has no effect; the Glue job would still be denied access to the KMS key.
- ✗
Enable default encryption on the S3 bucket using SSE-S3 instead of SSE-KMS to avoid KMS permission complexity.
Why it's wrong here
Switching to SSE-S3 would violate the security team's requirement for AWS KMS keys. SSE-S3 uses S3-managed keys and does not provide the same control or auditability. The scenario explicitly requires SSE-KMS, so this option fails to meet the mandate.
- ✗
Create a VPC endpoint for KMS and attach it to the Glue job's subnet to allow KMS traffic.
Why it's wrong here
A VPC endpoint for KMS can improve network security by keeping traffic within the AWS network, but it does not grant the necessary IAM permissions for the Glue job to use the KMS key. The job would still lack kms:Decrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey permissions, resulting in access denied.
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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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.