Quick Answer
The answer is kms:Encrypt. This permission is required because when CloudWatch Logs writes log events to an encrypted log group, the service must encrypt the data using the customer-managed KMS key before storing it, and the IAM role performing the write operation must have explicit authorization to use that key for encryption. Without kms:Encrypt, the PutLogEvents call fails even if the log group is correctly configured with the KMS key. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the specific KMS permissions needed for CloudWatch Logs encryption, a common trap being that candidates confuse write and read permissions—kms:Decrypt is only needed for reading logs, not writing them. A useful memory tip is "write to encrypt, read to decrypt": if your application is sending data to an encrypted log group, you always need kms:Encrypt on the key policy or IAM role.
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 uses Amazon CloudWatch Logs to store application logs. The security team requires that logs be encrypted at rest using a customer-managed AWS KMS key. The team has enabled encryption on the CloudWatch Logs log group using a KMS key. However, after enabling encryption, the application fails to write logs to the log group. The application uses an IAM role that has the following permissions: logs:CreateLogStream, logs:PutLogEvents, and logs:DescribeLogStreams. Which additional permission does the application need?
kms:Encrypt
The role needs encrypt permission to write to the encrypted log group.
kms:GenerateDataKey
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs does not use data keys.
kms:CreateGrant
Why wrong: CreateGrant is not required for writing logs.
kms:Decrypt
Why wrong: Decrypt is needed to read logs, not write.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
kms:Encrypt
Option A is correct because to write to an encrypted log group, the IAM role needs kms:Encrypt permission for the KMS key. Option B is incorrect because kms:Decrypt is for reading, not writing. Option C is incorrect because kms:GenerateDataKey is used for envelope encryption, but CloudWatch Logs encryption uses direct encryption. Option D is incorrect because kms:CreateGrant is used to grant access to a key, not to write logs.
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.
kms:Encrypt
Why this is correct
The role needs encrypt permission to write to the encrypted log group.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
kms:GenerateDataKey
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs does not use data keys.
kms:CreateGrant
Why it's wrong here
CreateGrant is not required for writing logs.
kms:Decrypt
Why it's wrong here
Decrypt is needed to read logs, not write.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Identify which DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: kms:Encrypt — Option A is correct because to write to an encrypted log group, the IAM role needs kms:Encrypt permission for the KMS key. Option B is incorrect because kms:Decrypt is for reading, not writing. Option C is incorrect because kms:GenerateDataKey is used for envelope encryption, but CloudWatch Logs encryption uses direct encryption. Option D is incorrect because kms:CreateGrant is used to grant access to a key, not to write logs.
Identify which DOP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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