This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 is troubleshooting why an IAM user (Alice) cannot encrypt data using a KMS key. Alice has full S3 and KMS permissions via an IAM policy. The key policy is shown. Which statement explains the issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The key policy does not allow the IAM user to use the key for any action
The key policy does not grant Alice any permissions, and it does not enable IAM policies to allow access (no statement allowing root account to delegate via IAM). Since KMS requires explicit key policy authorization unless the key policy enables IAM policies, Alice cannot encrypt data even with full IAM permissions. Option D correctly identifies this. Option A is wrong because the key policy does not need a separate statement to allow IAM policies unless it explicitly enables IAM policy delegation. Option B is wrong because Alice has kms:Encrypt via IAM policy, but the key policy is restrictive. Option C is wrong because the root account is included (the Root principal).
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 key policy is missing a statement to allow the IAM user to use the key via IAM policies
Why it's wrong here
That would require 'kms:ViaService' condition, but here the key policy simply doesn't allow encrypt.
✗
The IAM user does not have the kms:Encrypt permission in their IAM policy
Why it's wrong here
Alice has full KMS permissions via IAM, but key policy doesn't enable IAM policies.
✗
The key policy does not include the root account principal
Why it's wrong here
Root is included.
✓
The key policy does not allow the IAM user to use the key for any action
Why this is correct
Only Admin role gets kms:Put* and kms:Create*, not encrypt.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SCS-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The key policy does not allow the IAM user to use the key for any action — The key policy does not grant Alice any permissions, and it does not enable IAM policies to allow access (no statement allowing root account to delegate via IAM). Since KMS requires explicit key policy authorization unless the key policy enables IAM policies, Alice cannot encrypt data even with full IAM permissions. Option D correctly identifies this. Option A is wrong because the key policy does not need a separate statement to allow IAM policies unless it explicitly enables IAM policy delegation. Option B is wrong because Alice has kms:Encrypt via IAM policy, but the key policy is restrictive. Option C is wrong because the root account is included (the Root principal).
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SCS-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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