- A
Use AWS CloudHSM to generate a key and store it in a hardware security module.
Why wrong: Incorrect. AWS CloudHSM stores keys in a hardware security module but does not provide automatic key rotation. Additionally, it may introduce operational complexity and does not directly meet the 90-day rotation requirement.
- B
Use an AWS managed key for S3 and enable automatic rotation.
Why wrong: Incorrect. An AWS managed key for S3 has automatic rotation but the rotation period is approximately 365 days, not 90 days as required. Also, it does not use a customer-managed key.
- C
Use a customer-managed CMK and enable automatic key rotation.
Why wrong: Incorrect. While a customer-managed CMK with automatic rotation ensures key rotation and old data can be decrypted, automatic rotation is fixed at 365 days, not the required 90 days.
- D
Use a customer-managed CMK and generate a new key every 90 days, re-encrypting all data.
Correct. A customer-managed CMK with manual rotation every 90 days meets the specific requirement. Old keys are retained to allow decryption of historical data, and the new key is used for new encryptions.
SAP-C02 Design for New Solutions Practice Question
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 financial services company needs to design a solution for storing sensitive customer data that must be encrypted at rest using a customer-managed key stored in AWS Key Management Service (KMS). The data will be accessed by multiple EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group. The company needs to rotate the key every 90 days and ensure that old encrypted data can still be decrypted. Which key strategy 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
Use a customer-managed CMK and generate a new key every 90 days, re-encrypting all data.
Option D is correct because it uses a customer-managed CMK with manual rotation every 90 days, which meets the specific rotation requirement. By generating a new key and keeping the old key enabled, old encrypted data remains decryptable. Option C is incorrect because automatic rotation in AWS KMS has a fixed interval of 365 days, which does not satisfy the 90-day rotation requirement.
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.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudHSM to generate a key and store it in a hardware security module.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS CloudHSM stores keys in a hardware security module but does not provide automatic key rotation. Additionally, it may introduce operational complexity and does not directly meet the 90-day rotation requirement.
- ✗
Use an AWS managed key for S3 and enable automatic rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An AWS managed key for S3 has automatic rotation but the rotation period is approximately 365 days, not 90 days as required. Also, it does not use a customer-managed key.
- ✗
Use a customer-managed CMK and enable automatic key rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. While a customer-managed CMK with automatic rotation ensures key rotation and old data can be decrypted, automatic rotation is fixed at 365 days, not the required 90 days.
- ✓
Use a customer-managed CMK and generate a new key every 90 days, re-encrypting all data.
Why this is correct
Correct. A customer-managed CMK with manual rotation every 90 days meets the specific requirement. Old keys are retained to allow decryption of historical data, and the new key is used for new encryptions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap is that candidates may assume AWS KMS automatic key rotation can be customized to any frequency (e.g., 90 days), but it is fixed at 365 days. They might incorrectly select option C because it satisfies the 'old data decryptable' requirement, while overlooking the explicit 90-day rotation requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When automatic rotation is enabled on a customer-managed CMK, KMS creates new backing key material annually but retains the previous backing keys indefinitely, allowing decryption of data encrypted under older key material via the same CMK ID. The CMK itself remains the same logical resource (same ARN and key ID), so applications continue to use the same key alias or ID without code changes. This contrasts with manual rotation, where creating a new CMK would require updating key policies, aliases, and potentially re-encrypting data, which is unnecessary for compliance with a 90-day rotation policy that only requires key material rotation, not a new CMK.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design for New Solutions — This question tests Design for New Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a customer-managed CMK and generate a new key every 90 days, re-encrypting all data. — Option D is correct because it uses a customer-managed CMK with manual rotation every 90 days, which meets the specific rotation requirement. By generating a new key and keeping the old key enabled, old encrypted data remains decryptable. Option C is incorrect because automatic rotation in AWS KMS has a fixed interval of 365 days, which does not satisfy the 90-day rotation requirement.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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