SAP-C02 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions Practice Question
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of continuous improvement for existing solutions. 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 company is using AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that all Amazon S3 buckets across the organization are encrypted at rest. Which TWO steps should the security team take to enforce this requirement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an AWS Config rule that checks for S3 bucket default encryption and auto-remediates using SSM Automation.
Option A is correct because AWS Config can be configured with a managed rule (e.g., s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled) to detect buckets without default encryption, and an automatic remediation action using AWS Systems Manager (SSM) Automation can enforce encryption by applying the bucket's default encryption settings. Option B is correct because a service control policy (SCP) that denies s3:PutObject unless the x-amz-server-side-encryption header is present ensures that any object uploaded to S3 must include encryption headers, effectively enforcing encryption at the API level across all accounts in the organization.
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.
✓
Create an AWS Config rule that checks for S3 bucket default encryption and auto-remediates using SSM Automation.
Why this is correct
Config rules can enforce and remediate non-compliant resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies s3:PutObject unless the x-amz-server-side-encryption header is present.
Why this is correct
SCPs can deny actions that do not meet conditions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Amazon GuardDuty to monitor S3 data access patterns.
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty is for threat detection, not encryption enforcement.
✗
Create an IAM role with permissions to encrypt S3 buckets and assign it to all users.
Why it's wrong here
This does not enforce encryption; users can still choose not to use the role.
✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log all S3 API calls.
Why it's wrong here
Logging does not enforce encryption.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse detective controls (like AWS Config or CloudTrail) with preventive controls (like SCPs), or they mistakenly think that IAM roles or GuardDuty can enforce encryption policies, when in fact only SCPs and bucket policies with condition keys can deny unencrypted uploads at the API level.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The SCP in option B leverages the s3:PutObject API action and the x-amz-server-side-encryption header, which can specify values like AES256 (SSE-S3) or aws:kms (SSE-KMS). This SCP works at the organization level, overriding any account-level permissions, and is evaluated before the request reaches the S3 service, making it a preventive control. AWS Config remediation with SSM Automation uses a custom or managed SSM document (e.g., AWS-ConfigureS3BucketEncryption) to apply default encryption settings, which is a detective and corrective control that can automatically fix noncompliant resources.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — This question tests Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an AWS Config rule that checks for S3 bucket default encryption and auto-remediates using SSM Automation. — Option A is correct because AWS Config can be configured with a managed rule (e.g., s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled) to detect buckets without default encryption, and an automatic remediation action using AWS Systems Manager (SSM) Automation can enforce encryption by applying the bucket's default encryption settings. Option B is correct because a service control policy (SCP) that denies s3:PutObject unless the x-amz-server-side-encryption header is present ensures that any object uploaded to S3 must include encryption headers, effectively enforcing encryption at the API level across all accounts in the organization.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 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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Question Discussion
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