SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
A company has a requirement to automatically rotate encryption keys for S3 objects every 90 days. They are using SSE-KMS with a customer managed key. Which action will meet the requirement without breaking access to existing objects?
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 Batch Operations to re-encrypt existing objects with the new key
(S3 Batch Operations) allows re-encrypting existing objects with a new key without breaking access because the previous key remains available for decryption. Option E (Enable automatic key rotation in AWS KMS) rotates the key annually, not every 90 days, so it does not meet the requirement. No other combination of options fully satisfies the 90-day rotation requirement; thus only B is correct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure an S3 lifecycle policy to re-encrypt objects
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An S3 lifecycle policy does not re-encrypt objects; it transitions objects to different storage classes or expires them.
- ✓
Use S3 Batch Operations to re-encrypt existing objects with the new key
Why this is correct
Correct. S3 Batch Operations can re-encrypt existing objects with a new key, and the old key remains active for decryption.
- ✗
Manually rotate the key every 90 days and re-encrypt all objects
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Manually rotating the key and re-encrypting all objects is not a combination; it is a single action, and the question asks for two actions. Additionally, manual rotation is not automatic.
- ✗
Delete the existing key and create a new one each 90 days
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Deleting the existing key breaks access to existing objects, as they cannot be decrypted.
- ✗
Enable automatic key rotation in AWS KMS for the customer managed key
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS KMS automatic key rotation for customer managed keys is annual (365 days), not every 90 days, so it does not satisfy the requirement.
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 SCS-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 SCS-C02 exam.