This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 has a multi-account AWS environment using AWS Organizations. The security team wants to enforce that all S3 buckets across accounts are encrypted with AWS KMS. Which combination of controls should be used to enforce this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use an SCP to deny s3:PutBucketEncryption with encryption disabled, and AWS Config rules to detect non-compliant buckets.
Option A is correct because it combines preventive and detective controls. An SCP can deny the s3:PutBucketEncryption action unless the bucket is configured with KMS encryption, which prevents non-compliant buckets from being created or modified. AWS Config rules then detect any existing non-compliant buckets or changes that bypass the SCP, providing continuous compliance monitoring.
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.
✓
Use an SCP to deny s3:PutBucketEncryption with encryption disabled, and AWS Config rules to detect non-compliant buckets.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Attach an IAM policy to all users denying s3:PutObject without KMS.
Why it's wrong here
Does not prevent bucket creation without encryption; objects could be encrypted after bucket creation.
✗
Use an SCP to deny s3:CreateBucket without encryption, and rely on CloudTrail to alert.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail only logs, does not detect non-compliance.
✗
Use AWS Config rules only, with automatic remediation via Lambda.
Why it's wrong here
Config can remediate but may have delay; SCP is more proactive.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse object-level encryption (s3:PutObject) with bucket-level default encryption (s3:PutBucketEncryption), and fail to realize that an SCP is needed for preventive enforcement, not just detective or reactive controls.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs in AWS Organizations apply to all accounts in the organization and can deny API actions based on conditions, such as checking the x-amz-server-side-encryption header for 'aws:kms'. AWS Config rules like 's3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled' can evaluate bucket configurations and trigger remediation via Lambda, but SCPs are evaluated before the API call is executed, providing a hard enforcement boundary.
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 and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use an SCP to deny s3:PutBucketEncryption with encryption disabled, and AWS Config rules to detect non-compliant buckets. — Option A is correct because it combines preventive and detective controls. An SCP can deny the s3:PutBucketEncryption action unless the bucket is configured with KMS encryption, which prevents non-compliant buckets from being created or modified. AWS Config rules then detect any existing non-compliant buckets or changes that bypass the SCP, providing continuous compliance monitoring.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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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This DOP-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 DOP-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
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