- A
Apply a bucket policy on each bucket denying PutObject without encryption
Why wrong: Bucket policies apply to individual buckets, not all buckets.
- B
Create an SCP at the root OU that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless encryption is set to AWS KMS
This is correct because SCPs can deny the s3:PutBucketEncryption action unless KMS encryption is specified, providing a preventive control across all accounts in the organization.
- C
Enable AWS Config with the s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled rule
Why wrong: Config rules only detect non-compliant resources, they do not enforce.
- D
Attach an IAM policy to each account's admin user requiring encryption
Why wrong: IAM policies are per-account and not inherited across accounts.
Question 1,487 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Management and Security Governance Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. 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. 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 AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that all S3 buckets across all accounts are encrypted with AWS KMS. Which policy should be used to enforce this?
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
✓
Create an SCP at the root OU that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless encryption is set to AWS KMS
Option B is correct because Service Control Policies (SCPs) at the root OU can deny the s3:PutBucketEncryption action unless the request includes encryption settings that use AWS KMS. This enforces encryption at the organizational level, overriding any account-level permissions, and ensures that all S3 buckets across all accounts are encrypted with KMS.
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.
- ✗
Apply a bucket policy on each bucket denying PutObject without encryption
Why it's wrong here
Bucket policies apply to individual buckets, not all buckets.
- ✓
Create an SCP at the root OU that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless encryption is set to AWS KMS
Why this is correct
This is correct because SCPs can deny the s3:PutBucketEncryption action unless KMS encryption is specified, providing a preventive control across all accounts in the organization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable AWS Config with the s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled rule
Why it's wrong here
Config rules only detect non-compliant resources, they do not enforce.
- ✗
Attach an IAM policy to each account's admin user requiring encryption
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies are per-account and not inherited across accounts.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse detective controls (like AWS Config) with preventive controls (like SCPs), or assume that bucket policies or IAM policies can enforce organization-wide encryption when they lack the scope or precedence to do so.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs at the root OU affect all accounts in the organization by denying actions that do not meet the condition, using the 'Deny' effect with a condition like 'aws:SecureTransport' or 's3:x-amz-server-side-encryption-aws-kms-key-id' to require KMS encryption. Under the hood, SCPs are evaluated before IAM and bucket policies, so they cannot be overridden by account administrators. A real-world scenario is when a developer creates a bucket via CloudFormation without specifying encryption—the SCP will deny the s3:PutBucketEncryption action, preventing the bucket from being created without KMS.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an SCP at the root OU that denies s3:PutBucketEncryption unless encryption is set to AWS KMS — Option B is correct because Service Control Policies (SCPs) at the root OU can deny the s3:PutBucketEncryption action unless the request includes encryption settings that use AWS KMS. This enforces encryption at the organizational level, overriding any account-level permissions, and ensures that all S3 buckets across all accounts are encrypted with KMS.
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: Jun 11, 2026
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