SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
A company uses Amazon S3 to store sensitive documents. They must ensure that all objects are encrypted at rest and that any attempt to upload an unencrypted object is denied. Which S3 bucket policy statement achieves 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
✓
Deny s3:PutObject unless the request includes x-amz-server-side-encryption: AES256 AND the encryption is SSE-S3.
Option C is correct because it explicitly denies PutObject unless the request includes both the x-amz-server-side-encryption header with value AES256 (which requests SSE-S3) and the encryption type is SSE-S3. This ensures only objects encrypted with SSE-S3 can be uploaded. Option A is incorrect because it only checks for the header value AES256; while AES256 is specific to SSE-S3 and would also enforce SSE-S3, Option C provides a more explicit condition. Option B is incorrect because it denies all PutObject requests. Option D is incorrect because an Allow statement cannot enforce a denial; a Deny statement is required to block unencrypted uploads.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Deny s3:PutObject unless the request includes x-amz-server-side-encryption: AES256.
Why it's wrong here
This does not deny requests with other encryption headers.
- ✗
Deny s3:PutObject for all principals.
Why it's wrong here
This blocks all uploads.
- ✓
Deny s3:PutObject unless the request includes x-amz-server-side-encryption: AES256 AND the encryption is SSE-S3.
Why this is correct
Correctly denies unencrypted uploads by requiring the SSE header.
- ✗
Allow s3:PutObject only when x-amz-server-side-encryption: AES256 is present.
Why it's wrong here
This allows but does not deny unencrypted; unencrypted requests would be allowed by default.
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.