SCS-C02 Server-Side Encryption (SSE) Practice Question
A security engineer is designing a data protection strategy for an S3 bucket that contains sensitive documents. The bucket is accessed by multiple IAM users and roles. Which TWO actions will help protect the data at rest and in transit?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse auditing (Access Logs) or deletion protection (MFA Delete) with data protection mechanisms. The question specifically asks for protecting data at rest and in transit, which are encryption and transport enforcement.
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
✓
Add a bucket policy that denies requests without aws:SecureTransport
Enforcing HTTPS (aws:SecureTransport) protects data in transit by requiring all requests to use TLS. Option D is correct because enabling default encryption (SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS) ensures data at rest is automatically encrypted when written to S3. Option A is incorrect: S3 Access Logs are for auditing access, not for protecting data. Option C is incorrect: MFA Delete protects against accidental deletion, not data protection at rest or in transit. Option E is incorrect: pre-signed URLs provide time-limited access but do not inherently protect data at rest or enforce encryption in transit.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable S3 Access Logs and send them to a separate account
Why it's wrong here
Access logs are for auditing, not for data protection.
- ✓
Add a bucket policy that denies requests without aws:SecureTransport
Why this is correct
This enforces HTTPS for data in transit.
- ✗
Enable MFA Delete on the S3 bucket
Why it's wrong here
MFA Delete protects against accidental deletion, not data protection in transit or at rest.
- ✓
Enable default encryption on the S3 bucket using SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS
Why this is correct
Default encryption ensures all objects are encrypted at rest.
- ✗
Use pre-signed URLs for all access
Why it's wrong here
Pre-signed URLs do not directly protect data at rest or enforce encryption in transit.
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
Related to this question
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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.