- A
Enable S3 Versioning on the bucket.
Why wrong: Versioning does not enforce encryption.
- B
Enable MFA Delete on the bucket.
Why wrong: MFA Delete protects against accidental deletion, not encryption.
- C
Configure S3 Access Points with network policies.
Why wrong: Access Points control network and access, not encryption.
- D
Use a bucket policy to deny PutObject requests that do not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header.
Policy enforces encryption at upload time.
- E
Enable default encryption on the S3 bucket.
Default encryption ensures new objects are encrypted automatically.
Question 521 of 1,786
How to Enforce S3 Encryption at Rest Using Bucket Policy and Default Encryption
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 is using Amazon S3 to store sensitive data. They need to ensure that all objects are encrypted at rest. Which combination of actions should be taken? (Choose TWO.)
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
✓
Use a bucket policy to deny PutObject requests that do not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header.
Option D is correct because a bucket policy that denies PutObject requests lacking the `x-amz-server-side-encryption` header enforces encryption at the time of upload, ensuring that any object written without explicit encryption headers is rejected. Option E is correct because enabling default encryption on the S3 bucket automatically applies server-side encryption (SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS) to any object uploaded without specifying encryption headers, providing a fallback that covers all objects. Together, these actions ensure that every object stored in the bucket is encrypted at rest, either by explicit client request or by default bucket settings.
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.
- ✗
Enable S3 Versioning on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Versioning does not enforce encryption.
- ✗
Enable MFA Delete on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
MFA Delete protects against accidental deletion, not encryption.
- ✗
Configure S3 Access Points with network policies.
Why it's wrong here
Access Points control network and access, not encryption.
- ✓
Use a bucket policy to deny PutObject requests that do not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header.
Why this is correct
Policy enforces encryption at upload time.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Enable default encryption on the S3 bucket.
Why this is correct
Default encryption ensures new objects are encrypted automatically.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse data protection features like Versioning or MFA Delete with encryption controls, or assume that network policies (Access Points) somehow enforce encryption, when in reality only explicit bucket policies and default encryption settings directly ensure objects are encrypted at rest.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the bucket policy in Option D uses a condition key like `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption` to evaluate the presence of the encryption header; if missing, the `Deny` effect blocks the PutObject request. Default encryption (Option E) works by applying a bucket-level setting that automatically adds the `x-amz-server-side-encryption` header to any upload that lacks it, using either SSE-S3 (AES-256) or SSE-KMS as configured. A real-world scenario where both are needed is when clients might bypass default encryption by explicitly setting `x-amz-server-side-encryption: none` or omitting the header entirely; the bucket policy catches those cases, while default encryption handles compliant clients that simply forget to specify encryption.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a bucket policy to deny PutObject requests that do not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header. — Option D is correct because a bucket policy that denies PutObject requests lacking the `x-amz-server-side-encryption` header enforces encryption at the time of upload, ensuring that any object written without explicit encryption headers is rejected. Option E is correct because enabling default encryption on the S3 bucket automatically applies server-side encryption (SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS) to any object uploaded without specifying encryption headers, providing a fallback that covers all objects. Together, these actions ensure that every object stored in the bucket is encrypted at rest, either by explicit client request or by default bucket settings.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more ways 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 uses Amazon S3 to store sensitive data. The security team wants to ensure that all objects uploaded to a specific S3 bucket are automatically encrypted at rest using server-side encryption with AWS KMS managed keys (SSE-KMS). Which bucket policy statement should be added to enforce this requirement?
medium- A.Deny put requests where 's3:x-amz-server-side-encryption' is 'aws:kms'
- ✓ B.Deny put requests where 's3:x-amz-server-side-encryption' is not 'aws:kms'
- C.Deny put requests where 's3:x-amz-server-side-encryption' is not 'AES256'
- D.Deny put requests where 's3:x-amz-server-side-encryption' is not set
Why B: Option B is correct because it denies any S3 PUT request that does not include the `x-amz-server-side-encryption` header set to `aws:kms`, thereby enforcing SSE-KMS encryption for all objects uploaded to the bucket. This bucket policy condition ensures that only requests specifying AWS KMS-managed keys are allowed, meeting the security team's requirement for automatic encryption at rest with SSE-KMS.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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