- A
Enable S3 bucket encryption with SSE-S3. Enable S3 server access logs.
Why wrong: SSE-S3 not customer-managed; server access logs do not capture KMS operations.
- B
Configure S3 bucket encryption with SSE-KMS using a customer-managed CMK. Enable AWS CloudTrail with data events for S3 and KMS.
Customer-managed key meets requirement; CloudTrail audits access.
- C
Enable S3 default encryption with SSE-S3. Enable Amazon CloudWatch Logs for S3 access logging.
Why wrong: SSE-S3 uses AWS-managed keys, not customer-managed.
- D
Use client-side encryption with a customer-managed key. Enable Amazon CloudWatch Logs for S3 access logs.
Why wrong: Client-side encryption is not server-side; CloudWatch logs are not for auditing.
Question 778 of 1,746
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 company is designing a data lake on Amazon S3. The data is ingested from multiple sources and must be encrypted at rest using customer-managed keys. The company also needs to audit all access to the data lake. Which combination of services should be used?
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
✓
Configure S3 bucket encryption with SSE-KMS using a customer-managed CMK. Enable AWS CloudTrail with data events for S3 and KMS.
Option B is correct because it uses SSE-KMS with a customer-managed CMK to meet the encryption-at-rest requirement with customer-controlled keys, and enables AWS CloudTrail with data events for both S3 and KMS to audit all access to the data lake. This combination provides granular auditing of every S3 object-level operation (e.g., GetObject, PutObject) and every KMS key usage (e.g., Decrypt, GenerateDataKey), which is essential for compliance and security monitoring.
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.
- ✗
Enable S3 bucket encryption with SSE-S3. Enable S3 server access logs.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 not customer-managed; server access logs do not capture KMS operations.
- ✓
Configure S3 bucket encryption with SSE-KMS using a customer-managed CMK. Enable AWS CloudTrail with data events for S3 and KMS.
Why this is correct
Customer-managed key meets requirement; CloudTrail audits access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable S3 default encryption with SSE-S3. Enable Amazon CloudWatch Logs for S3 access logging.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 uses AWS-managed keys, not customer-managed.
- ✗
Use client-side encryption with a customer-managed key. Enable Amazon CloudWatch Logs for S3 access logs.
Why it's wrong here
Client-side encryption is not server-side; CloudWatch logs are not for auditing.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse S3 server access logs (which are log files delivered to an S3 bucket) with CloudTrail data events, or assume SSE-S3 meets the 'customer-managed keys' requirement because it is a form of server-side encryption, but SSE-S3 uses AWS-owned keys, not customer-managed ones.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When SSE-KMS is used, S3 calls KMS with a GenerateDataKey request for each upload and a Decrypt request for each download, which are recorded as KMS data events in CloudTrail if enabled. CloudTrail data events for S3 capture object-level API calls (e.g., GetObject, PutObject, DeleteObject) with details like requester, source IP, and bucket ARN, while KMS data events capture key usage, enabling a complete audit trail. A subtle behavior: enabling CloudTrail data events for all S3 buckets and KMS keys can generate high volumes of log data, so you should scope trails to specific buckets and keys to manage costs.
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.
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 |
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: Configure S3 bucket encryption with SSE-KMS using a customer-managed CMK. Enable AWS CloudTrail with data events for S3 and KMS. — Option B is correct because it uses SSE-KMS with a customer-managed CMK to meet the encryption-at-rest requirement with customer-controlled keys, and enables AWS CloudTrail with data events for both S3 and KMS to audit all access to the data lake. This combination provides granular auditing of every S3 object-level operation (e.g., GetObject, PutObject) and every KMS key usage (e.g., Decrypt, GenerateDataKey), which is essential for compliance and security monitoring.
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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