This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 wants to encrypt data at rest in an S3 bucket. Which AWS service can provide encryption keys that are managed by AWS and rotated automatically?
SSE-KMS (Server-Side Encryption with AWS KMS)
Why wrong: Keys are customer-managed, rotation not automatic unless enabled.
SSE-S3 (Server-Side Encryption with S3 Managed Keys)
AWS manages and rotates keys.
SSE-C (Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys)
Why wrong: Customer provides and manages keys.
Client-side encryption using AWS KMS.
Why wrong: Client-side is not server-side encryption.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
SSE-S3 (Server-Side Encryption with S3 Managed Keys)
SSE-S3 uses encryption keys that are managed entirely by AWS and are rotated automatically on a regular basis. This option meets the requirement for AWS-managed keys with automatic rotation without any additional configuration or cost.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
SSE-KMS (Server-Side Encryption with AWS KMS)
Why it's wrong here
Keys are customer-managed, rotation not automatic unless enabled.
SSE-S3 (Server-Side Encryption with S3 Managed Keys)
Why this is correct
AWS manages and rotates keys.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
SSE-C (Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys)
Why it's wrong here
Customer provides and manages keys.
Client-side encryption using AWS KMS.
Why it's wrong here
Client-side is not server-side encryption.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse SSE-KMS with AWS-managed keys, but SSE-KMS uses customer-managed keys by default, and automatic rotation is only available for AWS-managed keys in KMS (which are not the default for SSE-KMS).
Detailed technical explanation
SSE-S3 uses AES-256 encryption with keys managed by AWS, and the key rotation occurs automatically every 90 days without any action from the customer. Under the hood, S3 generates a unique encryption key for each object and then encrypts that key with a master key that is rotated periodically. This is the simplest and most cost-effective option for encrypting data at rest in S3 when you do not need to control the encryption keys.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: SSE-S3 (Server-Side Encryption with S3 Managed Keys) — SSE-S3 uses encryption keys that are managed entirely by AWS and are rotated automatically on a regular basis. This option meets the requirement for AWS-managed keys with automatic rotation without any additional configuration or cost.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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