- A
Use S3 Cross-Region Replication to another bucket.
Why wrong: Replication does not prevent deletion; it only creates copies.
- B
Enable S3 Object Lock with governance mode.
Why wrong: Object Lock prevents modification, but not deletion of the entire bucket; MFA Delete is more appropriate.
- C
Configure S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS.
Why wrong: Encryption does not prevent deletion.
- D
Enable S3 Versioning and MFA Delete.
Versioning preserves objects and MFA Delete requires multi-factor authentication to delete versions.
Question 1,000 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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 designing a data protection solution for Amazon S3 that must prevent any user from accidentally deleting objects. Which combination of S3 features should be used?
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
✓
Enable S3 Versioning and MFA Delete.
Option D is correct because enabling S3 Versioning preserves all object versions, allowing recovery of deleted objects, and MFA Delete requires multi-factor authentication for permanent deletions, preventing accidental or unauthorized deletions. Option A is wrong because Cross-Region Replication copies objects to another bucket but does not prevent deletion of the source objects. Option B is wrong because Object Lock with governance mode prevents overwrites and deletions only if a retention period is set, but it does not block deletion of the bucket itself or version-level deletions if the lock is not applied. Option C is wrong because default encryption (SSE-KMS) protects data at rest but does not prevent deletion of objects.
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 S3 Cross-Region Replication to another bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Replication does not prevent deletion; it only creates copies.
- ✗
Enable S3 Object Lock with governance mode.
Why it's wrong here
Object Lock prevents modification, but not deletion of the entire bucket; MFA Delete is more appropriate.
- ✗
Configure S3 default encryption with SSE-KMS.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption does not prevent deletion.
- ✓
Enable S3 Versioning and MFA Delete.
Why this is correct
Versioning preserves objects and MFA Delete requires multi-factor authentication to delete versions.
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.
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Data Protection — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
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: Enable S3 Versioning and MFA Delete. — Option D is correct because enabling S3 Versioning preserves all object versions, allowing recovery of deleted objects, and MFA Delete requires multi-factor authentication for permanent deletions, preventing accidental or unauthorized deletions. Option A is wrong because Cross-Region Replication copies objects to another bucket but does not prevent deletion of the source objects. Option B is wrong because Object Lock with governance mode prevents overwrites and deletions only if a retention period is set, but it does not block deletion of the bucket itself or version-level deletions if the lock is not applied. Option C is wrong because default encryption (SSE-KMS) protects data at rest but does not prevent deletion of objects.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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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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