The answer is to use key policies that explicitly deny usage by external accounts and restrict usage to specific IAM roles within your account. These two measures work together because KMS key policies are resource-based policies that define the principal who can use the key; by setting a Deny effect for any AWS account outside your own, you block cross-account access at the key level, and by limiting the Allow effect to only specific IAM roles inside your account, you ensure no other identity—even within your account—can misuse the key. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this tests your understanding of the difference between key policies and IAM policies, and the common trap is confusing key rotation or tagging with access control. Remember: key policies are the gatekeeper for cross-account usage, so think "Deny external, Allow internal roles" to lock down your keys.
SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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 uses AWS KMS to encrypt data. The security team wants to ensure that KMS keys are not used outside of the company's AWS account. Which TWO measures would help achieve this? (Choose TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add a key policy that denies kms:* operations for principals from other AWS accounts.
Options A and C are correct. Option A: Setting a key policy that denies use by external accounts prevents cross-account usage. Option C: Using key policies to restrict usage to specific IAM roles within the account ensures only authorized roles can use the key. Option B is wrong because disabling key rotation does not prevent cross-account use. Option D is wrong because enabling automatic rotation does not restrict usage. Option E is wrong because tagging keys does not prevent usage.
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.
✗
Tag the KMS key with the account ID.
Why it's wrong here
Tags are metadata and do not enforce access control.
✗
Enable automatic key rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Rotation does not restrict usage.
✓
Add a key policy that denies kms:* operations for principals from other AWS accounts.
Why this is correct
This explicitly blocks cross-account access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Disable automatic key rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Rotation does not affect access control.
✓
Use key policies to allow only specific IAM roles in the account to use the key.
Why this is correct
This restricts usage to roles within the account.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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: Add a key policy that denies kms:* operations for principals from other AWS accounts. — Options A and C are correct. Option A: Setting a key policy that denies use by external accounts prevents cross-account usage. Option C: Using key policies to restrict usage to specific IAM roles within the account ensures only authorized roles can use the key. Option B is wrong because disabling key rotation does not prevent cross-account use. Option D is wrong because enabling automatic rotation does not restrict usage. Option E is wrong because tagging keys does not prevent usage.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.