The correct combination is SSE-KMS, S3 Versioning, and S3 Server Access Logs. SSE-KMS delivers encryption at rest with integrated AWS KMS key management, which provides a separate audit trail through CloudTrail for every encryption operation—critical for PII compliance. S3 Versioning preserves all object versions, enabling recovery of accidentally deleted objects within the 30-day window, while S3 Server Access Logs capture detailed request records for auditing who accessed the data. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between encryption options that offer key-specific audit logs versus simple default encryption, which lacks that granularity. A common trap is choosing MFA Delete or lifecycle policies, but MFA Delete is an additional safeguard, not a recovery mechanism, and lifecycle policies manage storage costs, not recovery. Memory tip: think “KMS for keys and logs, Versioning for recovery, Access Logs for who.”
SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 contains personally identifiable information (PII). The security team requires that all data be encrypted at rest and that access to the data is logged for auditing. Additionally, the team wants to ensure that if an object is accidentally deleted, it can be recovered within 30 days. Which combination of S3 features should be enabled?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable SSE-KMS, S3 Versioning, and S3 Server Access Logs.
Option A is correct because server-side encryption with KMS (SSE-KMS) provides encryption at rest with audit trails via CloudTrail, S3 Versioning allows recovery of deleted objects, and S3 Server Access Logs record access. Option B is wrong because default encryption does not provide key-specific audit. Option C is wrong because MFA Delete is not required for recovery. Option D is wrong because lifecycle policies do not help with recovery.
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.
✗
Enable SSE-C, S3 Lifecycle policies, and CloudWatch Logs.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-C requires customer key management; Lifecycle policies do not help with recovery.
✗
Enable SSE-KMS, S3 Versioning with MFA Delete, and S3 Inventory.
Why it's wrong here
MFA Delete is not needed for recovery within 30 days; Inventory does not log access.
✓
Enable SSE-KMS, S3 Versioning, and S3 Server Access Logs.
Why this is correct
SSE-KMS provides encryption and audit via CloudTrail; Versioning allows recovery; Access Logs record access.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Enable default encryption (SSE-S3), S3 Versioning, and AWS CloudTrail.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-S3 does not provide key-specific audit; CloudTrail does not log data events for S3 by default.
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: Enable SSE-KMS, S3 Versioning, and S3 Server Access Logs. — Option A is correct because server-side encryption with KMS (SSE-KMS) provides encryption at rest with audit trails via CloudTrail, S3 Versioning allows recovery of deleted objects, and S3 Server Access Logs record access. Option B is wrong because default encryption does not provide key-specific audit. Option C is wrong because MFA Delete is not required for recovery. Option D is wrong because lifecycle policies do not help with recovery.
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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