- A
Set the S3 bucket policy to require aws:SourceArn to match the SageMaker endpoint and allow kms:GenerateDataKey and kms:Decrypt.
Why wrong: GenerateDataKey is not needed for inference; also the condition may not restrict access to the role only.
- B
Create a KMS grant to allow the SageMaker service to use the key on behalf of the role, and set the S3 bucket to use AWS-managed SSE-S3.
Why wrong: SSE-S3 is not customer-managed KMS, failing the encryption requirement.
- C
Configure the KMS key policy to allow s3:PutObject and s3:GetObject for the SageMaker role, and enable S3 default encryption with the KMS key.
Why wrong: KMS key policy cannot grant S3 actions, and default encryption does not enforce role-only access.
- D
Use envelope encryption by generating a data key and storing it alongside the model artifact.
Why wrong: This approach is not integrated with KMS and does not meet the requirement for customer-managed keys.
- E
Attach a policy to the SageMaker role that allows kms:Decrypt on the KMS key, and set an S3 bucket policy that denies all access unless the request uses server-side encryption with the KMS key.
Correct. The role can decrypt, and the bucket policy enforces SSE-KMS, preventing unencrypted access.
MLA-C01 Practice Question: ML Solution Monitoring, Maintenance and Security
This MLA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of ml solution monitoring, maintenance and 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 financial services company uses SageMaker to train and deploy models. They must ensure that all model artifacts stored in S3 are encrypted at rest using customer-managed KMS keys. Additionally, only the SageMaker service role should have access to the encryption key for decrypting artifacts during inference. Which IAM policy configuration meets these requirements?
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
Attach a policy to the SageMaker role that allows kms:Decrypt on the KMS key, and set an S3 bucket policy that denies all access unless the request uses server-side encryption with the KMS key.
Option E is correct because it ensures that the SageMaker service role has explicit permission to decrypt the KMS key (via kms:Decrypt), while the S3 bucket policy denies any request that does not use server-side encryption with that specific KMS key (SSE-KMS). This enforces both encryption at rest with a customer-managed KMS key and restricts decryption access to only the SageMaker role during inference.
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.
- ✗
Set the S3 bucket policy to require aws:SourceArn to match the SageMaker endpoint and allow kms:GenerateDataKey and kms:Decrypt.
Why it's wrong here
GenerateDataKey is not needed for inference; also the condition may not restrict access to the role only.
- ✗
Create a KMS grant to allow the SageMaker service to use the key on behalf of the role, and set the S3 bucket to use AWS-managed SSE-S3.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 is not customer-managed KMS, failing the encryption requirement.
- ✗
Configure the KMS key policy to allow s3:PutObject and s3:GetObject for the SageMaker role, and enable S3 default encryption with the KMS key.
Why it's wrong here
KMS key policy cannot grant S3 actions, and default encryption does not enforce role-only access.
- ✗
Use envelope encryption by generating a data key and storing it alongside the model artifact.
Why it's wrong here
This approach is not integrated with KMS and does not meet the requirement for customer-managed keys.
- ✓
Attach a policy to the SageMaker role that allows kms:Decrypt on the KMS key, and set an S3 bucket policy that denies all access unless the request uses server-side encryption with the KMS key.
Why this is correct
Correct. The role can decrypt, and the bucket policy enforces SSE-KMS, preventing unencrypted access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
AWS often tests the misconception that a KMS key policy alone can control S3 access, but the correct approach requires combining an S3 bucket policy (to enforce SSE-KMS) with an IAM policy (to grant the SageMaker role decrypt permissions) — candidates frequently overlook the need for the S3 bucket policy to deny non-compliant requests.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the S3 bucket policy uses a condition like 's3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id' to enforce that only requests using the specified KMS key are allowed, while the IAM policy attached to the SageMaker role grants kms:Decrypt on that key. This dual-layer approach ensures that even if an unauthorized entity gains access to the S3 bucket, they cannot decrypt the model artifact without the KMS key. In a real-world scenario, this prevents data exfiltration by ensuring that only the SageMaker inference endpoint (via the service role) can decrypt the model for predictions.
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
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this MLA-C01 question test?
ML Solution Monitoring, Maintenance and Security — This question tests ML Solution Monitoring, Maintenance and Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Attach a policy to the SageMaker role that allows kms:Decrypt on the KMS key, and set an S3 bucket policy that denies all access unless the request uses server-side encryption with the KMS key. — Option E is correct because it ensures that the SageMaker service role has explicit permission to decrypt the KMS key (via kms:Decrypt), while the S3 bucket policy denies any request that does not use server-side encryption with that specific KMS key (SSE-KMS). This enforces both encryption at rest with a customer-managed KMS key and restricts decryption access to only the SageMaker role during inference.
What should I do if I get this MLA-C01 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
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