Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Key Management Service (KMS). AWS KMS is the correct choice because it provides centralized control over the encryption keys used to protect data at rest in Amazon S3, allowing you to create, rotate, and manage customer master keys (CMKs) that integrate directly with S3’s server-side encryption (SSE-KMS). On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how encryption key management differs from other security services—a common trap is confusing KMS with AWS CloudHSM, which offers dedicated hardware security modules but is not the default key manager for S3, or with AWS Secrets Manager, which handles application secrets rather than encryption keys. Remember that KMS is the managed service for key lifecycle and access control, while CloudHSM is for regulatory compliance requiring single-tenant hardware. Memory tip: KMS = Key Management Service, the “K” stands for keys, and it’s the go-to for S3 encryption.
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. 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 company needs to encrypt data at rest in Amazon S3. Which AWS service manages the encryption keys?
AWS Secrets Manager
Why wrong: Secrets Manager manages secrets, not encryption keys.
AWS Certificate Manager
Why wrong: ACM manages certificates, not encryption keys.
AWS CloudHSM
Why wrong: CloudHSM can be used but is not the default key manager.
AWS KMS
KMS provides key management for S3 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
AWS KMS
Option A is correct: AWS KMS manages encryption keys for S3. Option B is wrong because AWS Certificate Manager manages SSL/TLS certificates. Option C is wrong because AWS CloudHSM is a hardware security module but is not the default key manager for S3. Option D is wrong because AWS Secrets Manager manages secrets.
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.
AWS Secrets Manager
Why it's wrong here
Secrets Manager manages secrets, not encryption keys.
AWS Certificate Manager
Why it's wrong here
ACM manages certificates, not encryption keys.
AWS CloudHSM
Why it's wrong here
CloudHSM can be used but is not the default key manager.
AWS KMS
Why this is correct
KMS provides key management for S3 encryption.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 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
Identify which ANS-C01 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.
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FAQ
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS KMS — Option A is correct: AWS KMS manages encryption keys for S3. Option B is wrong because AWS Certificate Manager manages SSL/TLS certificates. Option C is wrong because AWS CloudHSM is a hardware security module but is not the default key manager for S3. Option D is wrong because AWS Secrets Manager manages secrets.
Identify which ANS-C01 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 ANS-C01 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 ANS-C01 exam.
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