The correct answer is to update the bucket encryption configuration to use SSEAlgorithm: aws:kms and specify a KMS key ID. This is necessary because the current bucket is using SSE-S3 (AES256), which encrypts objects with an Amazon S3-managed key, but the company policy requires server-side encryption with a customer managed key under AWS KMS. By changing the default encryption settings to aws:kms and providing the specific KMS key ID, the bucket will automatically apply SSE-KMS to all new objects, meeting the compliance requirement. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the difference between SSE-S3, SSE-KMS, and SSE-C, and the common trap is confusing bucket policies with default encryption settings—specifying a KMS key in a bucket policy does not enforce encryption on uploads. A helpful memory tip is: “Default encryption is the enforcer; bucket policy is the gatekeeper.”
SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer is reviewing the bucket encryption configuration. The bucket is used to store sensitive data. The company policy requires that all objects be encrypted using AWS KMS with a customer managed key. What should the engineer do to meet the policy?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Update the bucket encryption configuration to use SSEAlgorithm: aws:kms and specify a KMS key ID
The current configuration uses SSE-S3 (AES256). To use SSE-KMS, the engineer should modify the bucket encryption configuration to use aws:kms and specify a key ID. Option A is correct. Option B is incorrect because specifying a KMS key in the bucket policy does not enforce encryption. Option C is incorrect because enabling default encryption with SSE-S3 does not change the algorithm. Option D is incorrect because client-side encryption is not server-side.
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.
✗
Enable the bucket key and set SSEAlgorithm to AES256
Why it's wrong here
Still uses SSE-S3, not KMS.
✗
Use client-side encryption with a KMS key
Why it's wrong here
Client-side encryption is not server-side.
✓
Update the bucket encryption configuration to use SSEAlgorithm: aws:kms and specify a KMS key ID
Why this is correct
Changes default encryption to SSE-KMS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Add a bucket policy that requires kms:Encrypt permission for all PutObject requests
Why it's wrong here
Does not enforce SSE-KMS default.
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.
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: Update the bucket encryption configuration to use SSEAlgorithm: aws:kms and specify a KMS key ID — The current configuration uses SSE-S3 (AES256). To use SSE-KMS, the engineer should modify the bucket encryption configuration to use aws:kms and specify a key ID. Option A is correct. Option B is incorrect because specifying a KMS key in the bucket policy does not enforce encryption. Option C is incorrect because enabling default encryption with SSE-S3 does not change the algorithm. Option D is incorrect because client-side encryption is not server-side.
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 →
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 stores sensitive documents in an S3 bucket. The security team wants to ensure that any object uploaded to the bucket is automatically encrypted using server-side encryption with AWS KMS. Which S3 bucket feature should be configured?
easy
✓ A.Default encryption
B.Versioning
C.Bucket policy
D.Lifecycle policy
Why A: Option B is correct because the default encryption setting on an S3 bucket can enforce SSE-KMS. Option A is incorrect because bucket policies enforce access, not encryption. Option C is incorrect because lifecycle policies manage object lifecycle. Option D is incorrect because versioning does not enforce encryption.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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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