SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Id": "PolicyForDataProtection",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "DenyIncorrectEncryptionHeader",
"Effect": "Deny",
"Principal": "*",
"Action": "s3:PutObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-secure-bucket/*",
"Condition": {
"StringNotEquals": {
"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "aws:kms"
}
}
},
{
"Sid": "DenyUnencryptedObjectUploads",
"Effect": "Deny",
"Principal": "*",
"Action": "s3:PutObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-secure-bucket/*",
"Condition": {
"Null": {
"s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "true"
}
}
}
]
}A security engineer applies the above S3 bucket policy. An application tries to upload an object with the header "x-amz-server-side-encryption: AES256". What will happen?
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
✓
The upload fails because the encryption header does not match 'aws:kms'.
The first condition in the S3 bucket policy denies PutObject if the encryption header is not "aws:kms" (using StringNotEquals). Since the application sends "x-amz-server-side-encryption: AES256", which is not "aws:kms", the deny condition is triggered. The second condition denies if the header is missing, but here it is present, so it does not apply. Therefore, the upload is denied.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The upload succeeds because the policy allows SSE-S3.
Why it's wrong here
The policy denies non-KMS encryption.
- ✓
The upload fails because the encryption header does not match 'aws:kms'.
Why this is correct
The first statement denies non-KMS encryption headers.
- ✗
The upload succeeds because the object is encrypted.
Why it's wrong here
The policy requires SSE-KMS, not SSE-S3.
- ✗
The upload fails because the header is missing.
Why it's wrong here
The header is present but not the required value.
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.