SAP-C02 Client-Side Encryption Practice Question
A company stores sensitive data in Amazon S3. They need to ensure that data is encrypted at rest using a key managed by the company's on-premises hardware security module (HSM). Which S3 encryption option should they use?
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
✓
Client-Side Encryption using the company's own encryption library.
Client-Side Encryption (B) allows the company to encrypt the data locally using their own encryption keys from the on-premises HSM before uploading to S3. This ensures the HSM manages the key and the company retains full control. Option A (SSE-C) requires the customer to provide a key with each request, but the key is not managed by the on-premises HSM; it is provided per-request and S3 uses it for encryption/decryption. Option C (SSE-KMS) uses AWS KMS, not the company's HSM. Option D (SSE-S3) uses S3-managed keys, which also do not involve the on-premises HSM.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys (SSE-C).
Why it's wrong here
SSE-C requires the key to be provided with each request, not stored in on-premises HSM.
- ✓
Client-Side Encryption using the company's own encryption library.
Why this is correct
Client-side encryption allows the company to encrypt data with their own key before uploading to S3.
- ✗
Server-Side Encryption with AWS KMS (SSE-KMS).
Why it's wrong here
SSE-KMS uses AWS KMS, not on-premises HSM.
- ✗
Server-Side Encryption with S3-Managed Keys (SSE-S3).
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 uses AWS-managed keys, not customer's own HSM.
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.