- A
{"Effect": "Deny", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringNotEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "aws:kms"}}}
Requires SSE-KMS encryption.
- B
{"Effect": "Deny", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringNotEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "AES256"}}}
Why wrong: AES256 is SSE-S3, not SSE-KMS.
- C
{"Effect": "Allow", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "aws:kms"}}}
Why wrong: Allow with condition does not deny non-compliant uploads.
- D
{"Effect": "Deny", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringNotEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "AES256"}}}
Why wrong: AES256 is SSE-S3, not SSE-KMS.
SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
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 is storing sensitive data in Amazon S3 buckets. They want to ensure that all uploaded objects are encrypted at rest using server-side encryption with AWS KMS (SSE-KMS). Which bucket policy statement will enforce this?
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
{"Effect": "Deny", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringNotEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "aws:kms"}}}
Option A is correct because it uses a Deny effect with a StringNotEquals condition on the s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption header set to 'aws:kms'. This ensures that any PutObject request that does not include the header specifying SSE-KMS is denied, effectively enforcing that all uploaded objects must be encrypted with AWS KMS. The Deny effect overrides any Allow, making this policy robust against accidental or malicious uploads without the required encryption.
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.
- ✓
{"Effect": "Deny", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringNotEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "aws:kms"}}}
Why this is correct
Requires SSE-KMS encryption.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
{"Effect": "Deny", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringNotEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "AES256"}}}
Why it's wrong here
AES256 is SSE-S3, not SSE-KMS.
- ✗
{"Effect": "Allow", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "aws:kms"}}}
Why it's wrong here
Allow with condition does not deny non-compliant uploads.
- ✗
{"Effect": "Deny", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringNotEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "AES256"}}}
Why it's wrong here
AES256 is SSE-S3, not SSE-KMS.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose an Allow policy (Option C) thinking it enforces encryption, but without a Deny, requests that omit the encryption header are still allowed by default, making the policy ineffective.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption condition key checks the value of the x-amz-server-side-encryption header in the PUT request. For SSE-KMS, the header value must be 'aws:kms', while SSE-S3 uses 'AES256'. Using a Deny with StringNotEquals is a common pattern to enforce encryption because it explicitly blocks any request that does not match the required value, including requests that omit the header entirely. This approach is more secure than an Allow with StringEquals, which would not prevent uploads without the header due to the default implicit deny.
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.
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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Data Protection — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: {"Effect": "Deny", "Principal": "*", "Action": "s3:PutObject", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::bucket/*", "Condition": {"StringNotEquals": {"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "aws:kms"}}} — Option A is correct because it uses a Deny effect with a StringNotEquals condition on the s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption header set to 'aws:kms'. This ensures that any PutObject request that does not include the header specifying SSE-KMS is denied, effectively enforcing that all uploaded objects must be encrypted with AWS KMS. The Deny effect overrides any Allow, making this policy robust against accidental or malicious uploads without the required encryption.
What should I do if I get this SCS-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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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