- A
Use S3 server-side encryption with AWS KMS customer managed keys (SSE-KMS) and enable automatic key rotation.
Customer managed keys can be rotated automatically yearly.
- B
Use client-side encryption with the AWS SDK.
Why wrong: Keys are managed client-side, not in AWS.
- C
Use S3 server-side encryption with customer-provided keys (SSE-C).
Why wrong: Keys must be provided with each request; rotation is manual.
- D
Use S3 server-side encryption with S3 managed keys (SSE-S3).
Why wrong: Keys are managed by AWS, not the company.
Question 1,365 of 1,746
S3 Encryption with SSE-KMS Customer Managed Keys and Automatic Rotation | AWS Solutions Architect Professional Explained
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design for new 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 designing a new application that will store sensitive user data in Amazon S3. Compliance requirements mandate that all data must be encrypted at rest using a key that is managed by the company and rotated automatically every year. Which solution meets these requirements?
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 S3 server-side encryption with AWS KMS customer managed keys (SSE-KMS) and enable automatic key rotation.
SSE-KMS with customer managed keys (CMKs) meets the compliance requirements because it allows the company to manage the encryption key lifecycle, including automatic annual rotation. AWS KMS supports automatic key rotation for customer managed keys, which can be configured to rotate every year, satisfying the mandate for company-managed keys with automatic rotation.
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 S3 server-side encryption with AWS KMS customer managed keys (SSE-KMS) and enable automatic key rotation.
Why this is correct
Customer managed keys can be rotated automatically yearly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use client-side encryption with the AWS SDK.
Why it's wrong here
Keys are managed client-side, not in AWS.
- ✗
Use S3 server-side encryption with customer-provided keys (SSE-C).
Why it's wrong here
Keys must be provided with each request; rotation is manual.
- ✗
Use S3 server-side encryption with S3 managed keys (SSE-S3).
Why it's wrong here
Keys are managed by AWS, not the company.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse SSE-C (customer-provided keys) with customer managed keys, but SSE-C does not support automatic rotation and requires the customer to manage key material outside AWS, whereas SSE-KMS with customer managed keys provides automatic rotation and is the correct choice for company-managed keys with rotation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS KMS customer managed keys (CMKs) support automatic annual rotation by default when enabled, creating new cryptographic material each year while retaining the old material for decryption of existing data. Under the hood, KMS uses envelope encryption where the CMK encrypts a data key, which is then used by S3 to encrypt objects; rotation changes the CMK’s backing key, but S3 continues to use the original data key for decryption, ensuring no re-encryption of existing objects is needed. In a real-world scenario, if compliance requires key rotation every 365 days, you can configure the CMK rotation period to 365 days via the AWS KMS console or API, and S3 automatically uses the new key material for new objects.
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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Design for New Solutions — study guide chapter
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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 S3 server-side encryption with AWS KMS customer managed keys (SSE-KMS) and enable automatic key rotation. — SSE-KMS with customer managed keys (CMKs) meets the compliance requirements because it allows the company to manage the encryption key lifecycle, including automatic annual rotation. AWS KMS supports automatic key rotation for customer managed keys, which can be configured to rotate every year, satisfying the mandate for company-managed keys with automatic rotation.
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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