SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
A company stores sensitive data in an S3 bucket with default encryption (SSE-S3) enabled. A security audit reveals that objects are being accessed by users from unexpected IP addresses. The company wants to enforce that only objects encrypted with a specific KMS key (managed by the security team) can be accessed. Which combination of actions should be taken?
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
✓
Modify the bucket policy to deny PutObject and GetObject unless the request includes the specific KMS key ID in the 'x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id' header.
It uses a bucket policy with the 's3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id' condition key to deny requests that do not include the specific KMS key ID in the 'x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id' header. This enforces that only objects encrypted with the specified KMS key can be accessed. Option A is incorrect because SSE-C uses customer-provided keys and does not integrate with KMS key IDs; distributing a customer key does not enforce the specific KMS key. Option C is incorrect because S3 Block Public Access and AWS WAF do not control access based on encryption key. Option D is incorrect because lifecycle policies do not restrict access based on encryption key.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use SSE-C and distribute the customer key to authorized users only.
Why it's wrong here
SSE-C does not provide centralized key management and audit.
- ✓
Modify the bucket policy to deny PutObject and GetObject unless the request includes the specific KMS key ID in the 'x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id' header.
Why this is correct
This enforces use of the specific KMS key for all operations.
- ✗
Enable S3 Block Public Access and use AWS WAF to filter IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
Block Public Access and WAF do not enforce encryption key usage.
- ✗
Apply an S3 Lifecycle policy to transition objects to Glacier after 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle policy does not control access based on encryption.
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 |
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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.