SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
A company is using Amazon S3 to store sensitive data. The security team requires that all data be encrypted at rest using server-side encryption with AWS KMS. The company also needs to ensure that any attempt to upload an unencrypted object is blocked. How can the company enforce 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
✓
Use a bucket policy that denies s3:PutObject if the request does not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header with value aws:kms
A bucket policy that denies s3:PutObject if the request does not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header with the value aws:kms will enforce encryption at upload time, blocking any unencrypted upload. Option B (default encryption) does not enforce on all uploads if the request header is omitted. Option C (CloudTrail) is detective, not preventive. Option D (Object Lock) is for write-once-read-many (WORM) compliance, not encryption.
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 a bucket policy that denies s3:PutObject if the request does not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header with value aws:kms
Why this is correct
This policy condition ensures encryption is used.
- ✗
Enable default encryption on the bucket with AWS KMS
Why it's wrong here
Default encryption applies only if the request does not specify encryption; it does not block unencrypted uploads.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to monitor PutObject calls and alert on unencrypted uploads
Why it's wrong here
This is detective, not preventive.
- ✗
Enable S3 Object Lock on the bucket
Why it's wrong here
Object Lock prevents deletion, not encryption enforcement.
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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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on SAP-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is using Amazon S3 to store sensitive data. The security team wants to ensure that all objects uploaded to specific S3 buckets are encrypted at rest. Which TWO actions should they take? (Choose 2)
medium- ✓ A.Use a bucket policy that denies PutObject without the x-amz-server-side-encryption header.
- ✓ B.Configure default encryption on the S3 buckets to use SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS.
- C.Enable S3 Cross-Region Replication.
- D.Enable S3 Versioning on the buckets.
- E.Enable S3 Server Access Logs.
Why A: Options A and B are correct. A bucket policy that denies PutObject without the x-amz-server-side-encryption header enforces encryption at upload time, ensuring all objects are encrypted. Default encryption on the bucket automatically encrypts objects that are uploaded without encryption headers, covering cases where the policy may not apply. Option C (Cross-Region Replication) replicates objects but does not enforce encryption. Option D (Versioning) provides object version management and can help protect against overwrites, but does not enforce encryption. Option E (Server Access Logs) provides logging but does not enforce encryption.
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.