- A
Rotate the KMS key immediately.
Why wrong: Rotating a key creates a new backing key; the old one still exists and can decrypt data encrypted with it.
- B
Revoke all grants associated with the KMS key.
Why wrong: Revoking grants only affects access granted via grants, not the key itself.
- C
Disable the KMS key.
Disabling a key prevents all cryptographic operations, including decryption, until re-enabled.
- D
Delete the KMS key.
Why wrong: Deleting a KMS key is permanent and cannot be undone; this may be too extreme.
Question 551 of 1,748
Disable KMS Key to Prevent Decryption
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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: kMS key disabling. 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 company uses AWS KMS to encrypt data in Amazon S3. The security team wants to ensure that if a KMS key is disabled, all subsequent attempts to decrypt data encrypted with that key fail. What is the BEST way to achieve this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
✓
Disable the KMS key.
Option C is correct because disabling a KMS key immediately prevents use of that key for decryption, so all subsequent decryption attempts fail. Option A is wrong because rotating a key does not affect the existing key's ability to decrypt data encrypted with it. Option B is wrong because revoking grants only removes permissions granted via grants; it does not affect the key policy or direct access, so decryption may still succeed. Option D is wrong because deleting a key is irreversible and can cause permanent data loss; disabling is sufficient and safer.
Key principle: KMS key disabling
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Rotate the KMS key immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Rotating a key creates a new backing key; the old one still exists and can decrypt data encrypted with it.
- ✗
Revoke all grants associated with the KMS key.
Why it's wrong here
Revoking grants only affects access granted via grants, not the key itself.
- ✓
Disable the KMS key.
Why this is correct
Disabling a key prevents all cryptographic operations, including decryption, until re-enabled.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
KMS key disabling
- ✗
Delete the KMS key.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting a KMS key is permanent and cannot be undone; this may be too extreme.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
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
- KMS key disabling
- Decryption failure
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
KMS key disabling
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.
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 kMS key disabling, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Data Protection — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Data Protection practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 study guide
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — KMS key disabling.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Disable the KMS key. — Option C is correct because disabling a KMS key immediately prevents use of that key for decryption, so all subsequent decryption attempts fail. Option A is wrong because rotating a key does not affect the existing key's ability to decrypt data encrypted with it. Option B is wrong because revoking grants only removes permissions granted via grants; it does not affect the key policy or direct access, so decryption may still succeed. Option D is wrong because deleting a key is irreversible and can cause permanent data loss; disabling is sufficient and safer.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review kMS key disabling, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
KMS key disabling
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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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