This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer configures the above KMS key policy. The DataAccess role is used by an application that runs on EC2 instances in the us-east-1 region. The application needs to read encrypted objects from an S3 bucket in the same region. Which of the following is true about this configuration?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The role can decrypt objects in S3, but cannot use the key outside of S3.
Option D is correct. The key policy includes a condition 'kms:ViaService' that restricts use of the key to requests that originate from S3 in us-east-1. The DataAccess role has permissions to call kms:Decrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey. With kms:Decrypt, the role can decrypt objects in S3 (e.g., via S3 GetObject with SSE-KMS). The role can also encrypt objects via S3 PutObject using kms:GenerateDataKey. However, the 'kms:ViaService' condition prevents the role from using the key for any operation outside of S3 (e.g., direct KMS API calls). Option A is incorrect because the condition restricts usage to S3 in us-east-1 only, not any region or any operation. Option B is incorrect because the condition 'kms:ViaService' is syntactically valid and functions as intended. Option C is incorrect because the role has kms:GenerateDataKey, which allows encryption via S3 PutObject, and kms:Decrypt for decryption, so it can both encrypt and decrypt.
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.
✗
The role can use the key for any S3 operation in any region.
Why it's wrong here
The condition restricts to us-east-1.
✗
The role cannot use the key for any operation because the condition is invalid.
Why it's wrong here
The condition is valid.
✗
The role can only encrypt data, not decrypt it.
Why it's wrong here
The policy allows both Decrypt and GenerateDataKey.
✓
The role can decrypt objects in S3, but cannot use the key outside of S3.
Why this is correct
The condition restricts use to S3 service in us-east-1.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The role can decrypt objects in S3, but cannot use the key outside of S3. — Option D is correct. The key policy includes a condition 'kms:ViaService' that restricts use of the key to requests that originate from S3 in us-east-1. The DataAccess role has permissions to call kms:Decrypt and kms:GenerateDataKey. With kms:Decrypt, the role can decrypt objects in S3 (e.g., via S3 GetObject with SSE-KMS). The role can also encrypt objects via S3 PutObject using kms:GenerateDataKey. However, the 'kms:ViaService' condition prevents the role from using the key for any operation outside of S3 (e.g., direct KMS API calls). Option A is incorrect because the condition restricts usage to S3 in us-east-1 only, not any region or any operation. Option B is incorrect because the condition 'kms:ViaService' is syntactically valid and functions as intended. Option C is incorrect because the role has kms:GenerateDataKey, which allows encryption via S3 PutObject, and kms:Decrypt for decryption, so it can both encrypt and decrypt.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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