Question 158 of 1,040
SAA-C03 S3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3) Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design secure architectures. 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. A key principle to apply: s3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3). 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 is designing a secure CI/CD pipeline on AWS. Developers push code to AWS CodeCommit, which triggers AWS CodePipeline to build and deploy applications to Amazon EC2 instances running in a VPC. The security team requires that all code is scanned for secrets and vulnerabilities before deployment, and that deployment artifacts are encrypted at rest in Amazon S3. Which three steps should be taken to meet these requirements? (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
✓
Add a CodeBuild step in the pipeline that runs a static code analysis tool to scan for secrets and vulnerabilities.
Adding a CodeBuild step that runs static code analysis directly addresses the requirement to scan for secrets and vulnerabilities before deployment. Using AWS Secrets Manager to store secrets and retrieve them via IAM roles ensures that sensitive credentials are not hardcoded and are securely accessed during the build. For the encryption at rest requirement, configuring the S3 bucket with default SSE-S3 encryption ensures that all objects stored in the bucket are encrypted at rest. The option to enforce HTTPS only provides encryption in transit, not at rest, and thus does not meet the requirement. CloudTrail logging addresses auditing, not encryption. Public access is insecure.
Key principle: S3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3)
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap is that candidates often confuse 'encryption at rest' with 'encryption in transit'. The requirement for 'encryption at rest in S3' is met by SSE-S3 default encryption, not by enforcing HTTPS. The HTTPS policy only secures data in transit, not at rest.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Static code analysis in CodeBuild can be implemented using a buildspec.yml that invokes tools like `gitleaks` for secrets or `safety` for dependency vulnerabilities. The pipeline can be configured to fail the build if critical findings are detected, enforcing a security gate. SSE-S3 uses AES-256 encryption managed by AWS, but the question's correct encryption option is actually enforcing encryption in transit via bucket policy (HTTPS), which prevents data exposure during upload/download.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- S3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3)
- Encryption at Rest
- Encryption in Transit
- Static Code Analysis
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
S3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3)
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.
Review s3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3), then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design Secure Architectures — This question tests Design Secure Architectures — S3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3).
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add a CodeBuild step in the pipeline that runs a static code analysis tool to scan for secrets and vulnerabilities. — Adding a CodeBuild step that runs static code analysis directly addresses the requirement to scan for secrets and vulnerabilities before deployment. Using AWS Secrets Manager to store secrets and retrieve them via IAM roles ensures that sensitive credentials are not hardcoded and are securely accessed during the build. For the encryption at rest requirement, configuring the S3 bucket with default SSE-S3 encryption ensures that all objects stored in the bucket are encrypted at rest. The option to enforce HTTPS only provides encryption in transit, not at rest, and thus does not meet the requirement. CloudTrail logging addresses auditing, not encryption. Public access is insecure.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Review s3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3), then practise related SAA-C03 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
S3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE-S3)
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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