- A
Grant kms:Decrypt permission in the IAM policy and configure the KMS key policy to allow the IAM role to use the key.
Correct – Provides kms:Decrypt permission and ensures the KMS key policy allows the IAM role, enabling Athena to decrypt objects encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key.
- B
Add kms:EncryptionContext condition to the IAM policy to require a specific encryption context.
Why wrong: Incorrect – s3:SourceIp does not work for VPC endpoint requests; use aws:SourceVpce instead.
- C
Create a VPC endpoint for Athena and attach a bucket policy that restricts access to that endpoint.
Correct – A VPC endpoint for Athena (or S3) with a bucket policy restricting access to that endpoint ensures queries only come from the specified VPC subnets.
- D
Use the s3:SourceIp condition key in the IAM policy to restrict access to the private IP ranges of the VPC subnets.
Why wrong: Incorrect – kms:EncryptionContext is used for encryption context, not for restricting encryption at rest.
- E
Enable default encryption on the S3 bucket using SSE-S3 and configure the KMS key policy to allow the IAM role.
Why wrong: Incorrect – SSE-S3 does not use KMS, so the KMS key policy is irrelevant.
SCS-C02 VPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: vPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena. 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 security engineer is designing IAM policies for a data analytics platform that uses Amazon S3, Amazon Athena, and AWS Glue. The platform must allow data scientists to query data in S3 using Athena, but only from specific VPC subnets. Additionally, the data must be encrypted at rest using AWS KMS. Which TWO actions should the engineer take to meet these requirements? (Choose TWO.)
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
Grant kms:Decrypt permission in the IAM policy and configure the KMS key policy to allow the IAM role to use the key.
A: Correct – Granting kms:Decrypt permission in the IAM policy and ensuring the KMS key policy allows the IAM role enables Athena to decrypt S3 objects encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key. C: Correct – Creating a VPC endpoint for Athena (or S3) and attaching a bucket policy that restricts access to that endpoint ensures queries are only allowed from the specified VPC subnets. B: Incorrect – The s3:SourceIp condition key does not work for requests made via VPC endpoints; use aws:SourceVpce instead. D: Incorrect – The kms:EncryptionContext condition is not used for restricting encryption at rest; it is used for encryption context in KMS operations. E: Incorrect – SSE-S3 does not use KMS, so the KMS key policy would not be relevant.
Key principle: VPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Grant kms:Decrypt permission in the IAM policy and configure the KMS key policy to allow the IAM role to use the key.
Why this is correct
Correct – Provides kms:Decrypt permission and ensures the KMS key policy allows the IAM role, enabling Athena to decrypt objects encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key.
Related concept
VPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena
- ✗
Add kms:EncryptionContext condition to the IAM policy to require a specific encryption context.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect – s3:SourceIp does not work for VPC endpoint requests; use aws:SourceVpce instead.
- ✓
Create a VPC endpoint for Athena and attach a bucket policy that restricts access to that endpoint.
Why this is correct
Correct – A VPC endpoint for Athena (or S3) with a bucket policy restricting access to that endpoint ensures queries only come from the specified VPC subnets.
Related concept
VPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena
- ✗
Use the s3:SourceIp condition key in the IAM policy to restrict access to the private IP ranges of the VPC subnets.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect – kms:EncryptionContext is used for encryption context, not for restricting encryption at rest.
- ✗
Enable default encryption on the S3 bucket using SSE-S3 and configure the KMS key policy to allow the IAM role.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect – SSE-S3 does not use KMS, so the KMS key policy is irrelevant.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common trap is confusing VPC endpoint policies with source IP conditions. When using a VPC endpoint, you must use aws:SourceVpce in the bucket policy, not s3:SourceIp.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- VPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena
- KMS Key Policy
- aws:SourceVpce Condition
- SSE-S3 vs SSE-KMS
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
VPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Visual reference
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review vPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — VPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Grant kms:Decrypt permission in the IAM policy and configure the KMS key policy to allow the IAM role to use the key. — A: Correct – Granting kms:Decrypt permission in the IAM policy and ensuring the KMS key policy allows the IAM role enables Athena to decrypt S3 objects encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key. C: Correct – Creating a VPC endpoint for Athena (or S3) and attaching a bucket policy that restricts access to that endpoint ensures queries are only allowed from the specified VPC subnets. B: Incorrect – The s3:SourceIp condition key does not work for requests made via VPC endpoints; use aws:SourceVpce instead. D: Incorrect – The kms:EncryptionContext condition is not used for restricting encryption at rest; it is used for encryption context in KMS operations. E: Incorrect – SSE-S3 does not use KMS, so the KMS key policy would not be relevant.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review vPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
VPC Endpoint for Amazon S3/Athena
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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