This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. 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 requires that all data in an S3 bucket be encrypted at rest. The security team wants to enforce that only objects encrypted with AWS KMS are allowed. Which S3 bucket policy condition key should be used to deny PutObject requests if the object is not encrypted with KMS?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id
Option D is correct because the `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id` condition key specifically checks for the AWS KMS key ID (or alias) used for server-side encryption with AWS KMS (SSE-KMS). By using this key in a bucket policy with a `Deny` effect, you can enforce that only objects encrypted with a specific KMS key are allowed, rejecting any `PutObject` request that does not include the required `x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id` header.
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.
✗
s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-key-id
Why it's wrong here
This is not a valid condition key in S3 bucket policies.
✗
s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption
Why it's wrong here
This condition key only checks if encryption is enabled, not the specific KMS key.
✗
s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-kms-key-id
Why it's wrong here
This is not a valid condition key in S3 bucket policies.
✓
s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id
Why this is correct
This condition key allows you to require a specific KMS key ID.
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 confuse the valid condition key `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id` with similar-sounding but invalid keys like `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-kms-key-id` (missing 'aws') or `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-key-id` (which does not exist), leading them to choose an option that AWS S3 will not evaluate.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, when a client sends a `PutObject` request with SSE-KMS, it must include the `x-amz-server-side-encryption` header set to `aws:kms` and optionally the `x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id` header specifying the KMS key ID. The bucket policy condition key `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id` evaluates the value of that header, allowing you to restrict uploads to a specific KMS key (e.g., `arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:123456789012:key/abcd1234`). A real-world scenario is a compliance requirement where all data must be encrypted under a centrally managed KMS key to enable key rotation and auditing.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id — Option D is correct because the `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id` condition key specifically checks for the AWS KMS key ID (or alias) used for server-side encryption with AWS KMS (SSE-KMS). By using this key in a bucket policy with a `Deny` effect, you can enforce that only objects encrypted with a specific KMS key are allowed, rejecting any `PutObject` request that does not include the required `x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id` header.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 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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Question Discussion
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