- A
Create an AWS KMS customer-managed key.
A customer-managed key is required for SSE-KMS.
- B
Configure the bucket ACL to require encryption.
Why wrong: ACLs do not control encryption.
- C
Add a bucket policy that denies PutObject if the x-amz-server-side-encryption header is not set to 'aws:kms'.
Bucket policy can enforce encryption header requirement.
- D
Enable S3 default encryption with SSE-S3.
Why wrong: SSE-S3 uses S3-managed keys, not customer-managed.
- E
Set the bucket's default encryption to SSE-KMS using the customer-managed key.
Default encryption applies when no encryption header is provided.
Question 111 of 1,616
Enforce SSE-KMS on S3
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. 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 developer is using Amazon S3 to store sensitive data. The compliance team requires that all objects be encrypted at rest using server-side encryption with a customer-managed key (SSE-KMS). Which THREE steps must the developer take to enforce this requirement? (Choose THREE.)
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
✓
Create an AWS KMS customer-managed key.
Option A is correct because SSE-KMS requires a customer-managed AWS KMS key to encrypt objects at rest. By creating a customer-managed key, the developer gains control over key rotation, access policies, and audit trails, which satisfies the compliance team's requirement for server-side encryption with a customer-managed key.
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.
- ✓
Create an AWS KMS customer-managed key.
Why this is correct
A customer-managed key is required for SSE-KMS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure the bucket ACL to require encryption.
Why it's wrong here
ACLs do not control encryption.
- ✓
Add a bucket policy that denies PutObject if the x-amz-server-side-encryption header is not set to 'aws:kms'.
Why this is correct
Bucket policy can enforce encryption header requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable S3 default encryption with SSE-S3.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 uses S3-managed keys, not customer-managed.
- ✓
Set the bucket's default encryption to SSE-KMS using the customer-managed key.
Why this is correct
Default encryption applies when no encryption header is provided.
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 S3 default encryption (which can be set to SSE-KMS) with bucket policies that enforce encryption headers, but the question requires both the key creation (A) and the enforcement mechanisms (C and E) to fully satisfy the compliance requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, SSE-KMS integrates with AWS KMS to encrypt each object with a unique data key, which is then encrypted by the customer-managed key (CMK). The bucket policy in Option C uses the s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption condition key to deny PutObject requests that lack the aws:kms value, ensuring all uploads are encrypted with KMS. In a real-world scenario, combining Options A, C, and E provides defense-in-depth: the bucket policy enforces encryption at upload time, while default encryption handles cases where the client omits the header.
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 DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an AWS KMS customer-managed key. — Option A is correct because SSE-KMS requires a customer-managed AWS KMS key to encrypt objects at rest. By creating a customer-managed key, the developer gains control over key rotation, access policies, and audit trails, which satisfies the compliance team's requirement for server-side encryption with a customer-managed key.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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