SCS-C02 Management and Security Governance Practice Question
A security engineer is designing a data encryption strategy for an S3 bucket that contains sensitive information. Which TWO of the following are valid options for enforcing encryption at rest?
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
✓
Enable S3 default encryption on the bucket.
The correct options are B and E. Option B: Enabling S3 default encryption on the bucket automatically encrypts objects at rest using the specified encryption method (SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS). Option E: A bucket policy can deny PutObject requests that do not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header, ensuring objects are uploaded with encryption enforced. Option A is incorrect because using an AWS KMS key with automatic key rotation is a method of encryption, not an enforcement mechanism; the question asks for ways to enforce encryption at rest. Option C is incorrect because AWS CloudTrail logs API calls, not encryption enforcement. Option D is incorrect because IAM policies control user permissions but cannot directly enforce encryption at the service level; they can deny actions but encryption enforcement is typically done via bucket policies or default encryption.
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 an AWS KMS key with automatic key rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Key rotation is a feature, not enforcement.
- ✓
Enable S3 default encryption on the bucket.
Why this is correct
Correct: Automatically encrypts new objects.
- ✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log all object uploads.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: CloudTrail logs, does not enforce encryption.
- ✗
Attach an IAM policy to users to require encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: IAM policies cannot enforce encryption at the service level.
- ✓
Use a bucket policy to deny PutObject requests without the x-amz-server-side-encryption header.
Why this is correct
Correct: Enforces encryption at upload time.
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.