Question 876 of 724
DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
A company stores sensitive data in Amazon S3. A developer needs to implement a solution that automatically encrypts objects at rest using a key that is rotated annually. The developer must minimize operational overhead. Which solution meets these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that SSE-S3 rotates its keys automatically every day, not annually. Candidates may assume SSE-S3 provides annual rotation like KMS, leading them to incorrectly choose option A. Actually, SSE-S3 key rotation is fixed and cannot be customized; only SSE-KMS allows configurable key rotation (e.g., yearly) with automatic key management.
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 Server-Side Encryption with AWS KMS-Managed Keys (SSE-KMS) with automatic key rotation.
SSE-KMS with automatic key rotation meets the requirement for annual key rotation with minimal operational overhead because AWS KMS can automatically rotate the customer master key (CMK) every year (365 days) without any manual intervention. This ensures that objects in S3 are encrypted at rest using a key that is rotated on schedule, while the developer does not need to manage the rotation process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use Server-Side Encryption with S3-Managed Keys (SSE-S3) and set key rotation policy.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 encrypts objects with keys managed entirely by Amazon S3. While S3 automatically rotates these master keys, the rotation schedule is internal to AWS and cannot be configured or guaranteed to be annual by the user. This lack of control over the rotation frequency means it does not meet a specific annual key rotation requirement, making it unsuitable for scenarios demanding precise rotation policies.
- ✓
Use Server-Side Encryption with AWS KMS-Managed Keys (SSE-KMS) with automatic key rotation.
Why this is correct
SSE-KMS leverages AWS Key Management Service (KMS) to manage the encryption keys. For customer-managed keys (CMKs) in KMS, you can easily enable automatic key rotation, which rotates the backing key material annually. This feature directly satisfies the requirement for annual key rotation with minimal operational overhead, as KMS handles the rotation process seamlessly without requiring manual intervention.
- ✗
Use Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys (SSE-C) and manually rotate keys.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-C requires the customer to provide their own encryption key with every S3 API request for both uploading and downloading objects. This approach places the full burden of key generation, storage, and rotation squarely on the customer, significantly increasing operational overhead and complexity. Manually rotating these keys annually would be a cumbersome and error-prone process, directly contradicting any goal of minimizing management effort.
- ✗
Use Client-Side Encryption with KMS.
Why it's wrong here
Client-side encryption involves encrypting data before it is sent to S3, meaning the application itself must perform the encryption and decryption operations. While AWS KMS can be used to manage the encryption keys for client-side encryption, this method significantly increases the complexity of the application code and its deployment. The overhead associated with managing the encryption library, key fetching, and data transformation within the application layer is substantial, making it less desirable for minimizing operational burden compared to server-side options.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 exam.
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