Quick Answer
The answer is to cancel the key deletion within the waiting period. AWS KMS enforces a mandatory waiting period of 7 to 30 days when you schedule key deletion, during which the key remains in a pending deletion state and can be fully restored with a single CancelKeyDeletion API call. This is the fastest method because the key material is still intact and the original key ID and metadata are preserved, allowing immediate decryption of any data encrypted under that key. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of KMS key lifecycle states and the critical distinction between scheduling deletion and immediate deletion—a common trap is assuming deleted keys are gone forever or that re-encrypting with a new key is a viable shortcut. Remember the mnemonic: “Cancel before the countdown, or the key is gone for good.”
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 financial company uses AWS KMS to encrypt sensitive data. The security team notices that a KMS key has been deleted, but the encrypted data is still needed for a short period. What is the fastest way to make the data decryptable again?
Contact AWS Support to recover the key material
Why wrong: AWS Support cannot recover deleted key material.
Cancel the key deletion within the waiting period
KMS allows cancelling deletion during the waiting period.
Restore the key from a CloudHSM backup
Why wrong: KMS does not use CloudHSM for key storage.
Re-encrypt the data with a new KMS key
Why wrong: Without the original key, data cannot be decrypted to re-encrypt.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Cancel the key deletion within the waiting period
Option A is correct because KMS has a waiting period of 7-30 days during which the key can be cancelled. Option B is wrong because once deleted, the key cannot be recovered after the waiting period. Option C is wrong because re-encrypting requires the original key. Option D is wrong because the previous key material is gone.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Contact AWS Support to recover the key material
Why it's wrong here
AWS Support cannot recover deleted key material.
Cancel the key deletion within the waiting period
Why this is correct
KMS allows cancelling deletion during the waiting period.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Restore the key from a CloudHSM backup
Why it's wrong here
KMS does not use CloudHSM for key storage.
Re-encrypt the data with a new KMS key
Why it's wrong here
Without the original key, data cannot be decrypted to re-encrypt.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Cancel the key deletion within the waiting period — Option A is correct because KMS has a waiting period of 7-30 days during which the key can be cancelled. Option B is wrong because once deleted, the key cannot be recovered after the waiting period. Option C is wrong because re-encrypting requires the original key. Option D is wrong because the previous key material is gone.
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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