SCS-C02 SSE-S3 Practice Question
A company needs to protect data at rest in Amazon S3. Which THREE server-side encryption mechanisms can be used to encrypt objects stored in S3?
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
✓
Server-Side Encryption with S3-Managed Keys (SSE-S3)
Server-Side Encryption with S3-Managed Keys (SSE-S3), Server-Side Encryption with AWS KMS-Managed Keys (SSE-KMS), and Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys (SSE-C) are the three server-side encryption mechanisms for Amazon S3. Client-side encryption (option C) encrypts data before upload and is also a valid method to protect data at rest, but it is not a server-side mechanism. Option D (SSE-IAM) is not a real feature. Thus, the correct choices are A, B, and E.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Server-Side Encryption with S3-Managed Keys (SSE-S3)
Why this is correct
SSE-S3 is a valid server-side encryption option where Amazon S3 manages the encryption keys.
- ✓
Server-Side Encryption with AWS KMS-Managed Keys (SSE-KMS)
Why this is correct
SSE-KMS uses AWS KMS to manage keys, providing additional control and auditing capabilities.
- ✗
Client-Side Encryption
Why it's wrong here
Client-side encryption encrypts data before it is uploaded to S3, so the data is stored in encrypted form, protecting it at rest.
- ✗
Server-Side Encryption with IAM-Managed Keys (SSE-IAM)
Why it's wrong here
SSE-IAM is not a real encryption option; IAM does not provide server-side encryption.
- ✓
Server-Side Encryption with Customer-Provided Keys (SSE-C)
Why this is correct
SSE-C is a valid server-side encryption option, but it is not included in the set of three mechanisms recognized for this question.
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.