SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
A company is using Amazon S3 to store critical data. The security team requires that all data at rest be encrypted using AWS KMS with automatic rotation of the customer master key (CMK) every year. What should a solutions architect do to meet this requirement?
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
✓
Enable S3 default encryption with AWS KMS and enable automatic rotation of the KMS key.
It enables S3 default encryption with AWS KMS and enables automatic rotation of the KMS key, meeting the requirement for encryption at rest with automatic key rotation. Option A is wrong because SSE-S3 uses Amazon S3-managed keys, not KMS, and does not allow automatic rotation of a customer-managed key. Option C is wrong because SSE-C uses customer-provided keys, not KMS, and requires manual key rotation. Option D is wrong because client-side encryption does not use S3 server-side encryption and does not leverage S3's default encryption settings.
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 SSE-S3 (Amazon S3-managed keys) and rely on S3's automatic key rotation.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 keys are managed by S3 and rotate automatically, but they are not KMS keys.
- ✓
Enable S3 default encryption with AWS KMS and enable automatic rotation of the KMS key.
Why this is correct
This ensures all objects are encrypted at rest with a rotating KMS key.
- ✗
Use SSE-C (customer-provided keys) and manage key rotation manually.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-C does not use KMS and requires manual key management.
- ✗
Use client-side encryption with a KMS CMK and upload the encrypted data.
Why it's wrong here
Client-side encryption is not server-side encryption.
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 |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SAP-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 SAP-C02 exam.