- A
Use the AWS CLI to update the log group's encryption configuration to re-encrypt existing data.
Why wrong: No such operation.
- B
Export the existing logs to S3, encrypt them with the KMS key, and re-import them into a new log group.
Only way to encrypt existing logs.
- C
Enable KMS automatic key rotation on the customer-managed key to encrypt existing logs.
Why wrong: Rotation does not encrypt existing data.
- D
Change the KMS key to an AWS managed key to automatically encrypt existing logs.
Why wrong: Cannot change key.
Question 1,399 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. 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 is using Amazon CloudWatch Logs to centralize application logs from EC2 instances. The security team wants to encrypt the log data at rest using a customer-managed KMS key. After enabling encryption on the log group, they notice that new log events are being encrypted, but existing log events are not encrypted. What should the team do to encrypt the existing log events?
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
✓
Export the existing logs to S3, encrypt them with the KMS key, and re-import them into a new log group.
Option B is correct because CloudWatch Logs encryption at rest using a customer-managed KMS key applies only to new log events written after encryption is enabled. Existing log events remain unencrypted. To encrypt them, you must export the log group to Amazon S3 (using CreateExportTask), apply server-side encryption with the KMS key (SSE-KMS) to the exported objects, and then re-import them into a new log group. CloudWatch Logs does not support retroactive encryption of existing log events in place.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 the AWS CLI to update the log group's encryption configuration to re-encrypt existing data.
Why it's wrong here
No such operation.
- ✓
Export the existing logs to S3, encrypt them with the KMS key, and re-import them into a new log group.
Why this is correct
Only way to encrypt existing logs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable KMS automatic key rotation on the customer-managed key to encrypt existing logs.
Why it's wrong here
Rotation does not encrypt existing data.
- ✗
Change the KMS key to an AWS managed key to automatically encrypt existing logs.
Why it's wrong here
Cannot change key.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume enabling encryption on a log group retroactively encrypts all existing data, but CloudWatch Logs only applies encryption to new log events written after the association, not to historical data.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudWatch Logs uses envelope encryption with the KMS key to generate a data key for each log stream. Once a log group is associated with a KMS key, only subsequent PutLogEvents calls use that key for encryption. Existing log events are stored with the original encryption state (e.g., SSE-S3 or no encryption if the log group was created before encryption support). The only way to re-encrypt existing data is to export it to S3 (where you can apply SSE-KMS during the export or via S3 Batch Operations), then create a new log group with the KMS key and re-ingest the data using PutLogEvents. This is a common pattern for compliance remediation.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
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
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Export the existing logs to S3, encrypt them with the KMS key, and re-import them into a new log group. — Option B is correct because CloudWatch Logs encryption at rest using a customer-managed KMS key applies only to new log events written after encryption is enabled. Existing log events remain unencrypted. To encrypt them, you must export the log group to Amazon S3 (using CreateExportTask), apply server-side encryption with the KMS key (SSE-KMS) to the exported objects, and then re-import them into a new log group. CloudWatch Logs does not support retroactive encryption of existing log events in place.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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