Quick Answer
The answer is an Amazon S3 bucket with SSE-KMS enabled, a KMS key, and a data key. This is correct because envelope encryption with AWS KMS for S3 works by using a KMS key to generate and encrypt a data key, which is then used to encrypt the actual S3 objects; the encrypted data key is stored alongside the object, allowing decryption only by those with permission to use the KMS key. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the separation between a master key and a data key, often appearing in data lake or compliance questions where you must distinguish between AWS managed keys (which rotate automatically) and customer managed keys. A common trap is selecting the S3 bucket's default encryption setting alone, but the required components are the KMS key, the data key, and the S3 bucket with SSE-KMS enabled—not the bucket policy or encryption context. Memory tip: think "KMS key wraps the data key, data key wraps the object, S3 stores both."
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new solutions. 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. 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 designing a new data lake on Amazon S3. The data must be encrypted at rest using envelope encryption with AWS KMS. The company wants to use an AWS managed key that rotates annually. Which THREE components are required for this design? (Choose THREE.)
AWS KMS data key
Used to encrypt the actual data.
AWS KMS customer managed key
Used as the master key for encryption.
AWS Certificate Manager
Why wrong: ACM is for SSL/TLS certificates.
AWS CloudHSM
Why wrong: CloudHSM is for hardware security modules, not required.
Amazon S3 bucket with SSE-KMS enabled
S3 stores the encrypted data.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS KMS data key
KMS key, data key, and S3 are required for envelope encryption.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS KMS data key
Why this is correct
Used to encrypt the actual data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS KMS customer managed key
Why this is correct
Used as the master key for encryption.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Certificate Manager
Why it's wrong here
ACM is for SSL/TLS certificates.
AWS CloudHSM
Why it's wrong here
CloudHSM is for hardware security modules, not required.
Amazon S3 bucket with SSE-KMS enabled
Why this is correct
S3 stores the encrypted data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS KMS data key — KMS key, data key, and S3 are required for envelope encryption.
Identify which SAP-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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