← SCS-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 763 of 1,748

Management and Security Governance →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

How to Prevent Accidental KMS Key Deletion

This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. 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.

A company uses AWS Key Management Service (KMS) to encrypt data. The security team needs to ensure that KMS keys cannot be deleted accidentally. Which action should be taken?

A
Apply an SCP that denies kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion for all accounts.
Why wrong: This is overly broad and may be effective but is not the most targeted; also SCPs apply to all IAM principals in the account, but the question does not specify organization.
B
Create an IAM policy that denies kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion for the key.
This prevents authorized users from scheduling key deletion.
C
Enable automatic key rotation.
Why wrong: Rotation does not prevent deletion.
D
Enable deletion protection on the key.
Why wrong: KMS does not have a deletion protection feature.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 IAM policy that denies kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion for the key.

To prevent accidental deletion of KMS keys, you must deny the kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion permission. An IAM policy attached to the key (key policy) or to the user/role can explicitly deny this action. Option B is correct because it directly denies the permission needed to schedule deletion. Option A (SCP denying kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion) can be used at the organizational level but is not the most direct per-key control. Option C (automatic key rotation) does not prevent deletion. Option D is invalid because KMS does not have a deletion protection toggle; protection is achieved through IAM/key policies.

Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.

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 an SCP that denies kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion for all accounts.
Why it's wrong here
This is overly broad and may be effective but is not the most targeted; also SCPs apply to all IAM principals in the account, but the question does not specify organization.
✓
Create an IAM policy that denies kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion for the key.
Why this is correct
This prevents authorized users from scheduling key deletion.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
Enable automatic key rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Rotation does not prevent deletion.
✗
Enable deletion protection on the key.
Why it's wrong here
KMS does not have a deletion protection feature.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match

ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.

TExam Day Tips

Check inbound versus outbound direction.
Read the ACL from top to bottom.
Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.

Key takeaway

ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.

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.

Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.

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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 — Standard ACLs match source addresses..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Create an IAM policy that denies kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion for the key. — To prevent accidental deletion of KMS keys, you must deny the kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion permission. An IAM policy attached to the key (key policy) or to the user/role can explicitly deny this action. Option B is correct because it directly denies the permission needed to schedule deletion. Option A (SCP denying kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion) can be used at the organizational level but is not the most direct per-key control. Option C (automatic key rotation) does not prevent deletion. Option D is invalid because KMS does not have a deletion protection toggle; protection is achieved through IAM/key policies.

What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?

What is the key concept behind this question?

Standard ACLs match source addresses.

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on SCS-C02

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. A company uses AWS KMS to encrypt sensitive data. The security team needs to ensure that KMS keys cannot be deleted accidentally. Which TWO actions should be taken? (Choose TWO.)

medium

✓ A.Attach an SCP that denies kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion for all accounts.
B.Enable CloudTrail to log key deletion events.
C.Enable automatic key rotation.
✓ D.Modify the key policy to deny kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion for all principals.
E.Disable the key to prevent usage.

Why A: Options A and D are correct. Attaching a service control policy (SCP) that denies kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion at the organizational level (A) and modifying the key policy to deny kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion for all principals (D) are both preventive controls that protect KMS keys from accidental deletion. Option B (CloudTrail) is detective, not preventive. Option C (key rotation) does not affect deletion permissions. Option E (disabling the key) prevents usage but does not prevent deletion; the key can still be deleted while disabled.

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