This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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 has an Amazon S3 bucket with versioning enabled. They want to ensure that all objects in the bucket are encrypted at rest using server-side encryption with AWS KMS (SSE-KMS). They also want to prevent any future uploads that are not encrypted with SSE-KMS. Which combination of actions should they take?
Add a bucket policy that denies s3:PutObject if s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption is not aws:kms. Use S3 Inventory to report encryption status of existing objects.
Deny policy enforces for future uploads; inventory audits existing objects.
B
Use AWS Config rule s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled to check compliance.
Why wrong: Detects non-compliance but does not prevent uploads.
C
Use S3 Object Lock with governance mode.
Why wrong: Object Lock prevents deletion, not unencrypted uploads.
D
Enable default encryption with SSE-KMS on the bucket. Use S3 Inventory to report encryption status.
Why wrong: Default encryption does not prevent uploads with no encryption header if the client explicitly sets no encryption.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add a bucket policy that denies s3:PutObject if s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption is not aws:kms. Use S3 Inventory to report encryption status of existing objects.
Option A is correct because a bucket policy denying PutObject without SSE-KMS prevents non-compliant uploads, and S3 Inventory reports encryption status. Option B only checks compliance, does not enforce. Option C does not enforce encryption. Option D does not enforce.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Add a bucket policy that denies s3:PutObject if s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption is not aws:kms. Use S3 Inventory to report encryption status of existing objects.
Why this is correct
Deny policy enforces for future uploads; inventory audits existing objects.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Use AWS Config rule s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled to check compliance.
Why it's wrong here
Detects non-compliance but does not prevent uploads.
✗
Use S3 Object Lock with governance mode.
Why it's wrong here
Object Lock prevents deletion, not unencrypted uploads.
✗
Enable default encryption with SSE-KMS on the bucket. Use S3 Inventory to report encryption status.
Why it's wrong here
Default encryption does not prevent uploads with no encryption header if the client explicitly sets no encryption.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add a bucket policy that denies s3:PutObject if s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption is not aws:kms. Use S3 Inventory to report encryption status of existing objects. — Option A is correct because a bucket policy denying PutObject without SSE-KMS prevents non-compliant uploads, and S3 Inventory reports encryption status. Option B only checks compliance, does not enforce. Option C does not enforce encryption. Option D does not enforce.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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