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.
A security engineer runs the command shown in the exhibit. What is the outcome?
The command fails because AES256 is not a valid algorithm.
Why wrong: AES256 is valid for SSE-S3.
Default encryption is enabled on the bucket using SSE-S3.
SSEAlgorithm: AES256 means SSE-S3.
Default encryption is enabled on the bucket using SSE-KMS.
Why wrong: AES256 is SSE-S3, not KMS.
The command removes default encryption from the bucket.
Why wrong: It sets encryption, not removes.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Default encryption is enabled on the bucket using SSE-S3.
The command `aws s3api put-bucket-encryption --bucket my-bucket --server-side-encryption-configuration '{"Rules":[{"ApplyServerSideEncryptionByDefault":{"SSEAlgorithm":"AES256"}}]}'` enables default encryption on the bucket using SSE-S3, because `AES256` is the algorithm identifier for SSE-S3 (Amazon S3-managed keys). The command succeeds and sets the default encryption configuration to use server-side encryption with S3-managed keys, which is the standard SSE-S3 behavior.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The command fails because AES256 is not a valid algorithm.
Why it's wrong here
AES256 is valid for SSE-S3.
Default encryption is enabled on the bucket using SSE-S3.
Why this is correct
SSEAlgorithm: AES256 means SSE-S3.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Default encryption is enabled on the bucket using SSE-KMS.
Why it's wrong here
AES256 is SSE-S3, not KMS.
The command removes default encryption from the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
It sets encryption, not removes.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse `AES256` with an invalid algorithm or assume it refers to SSE-KMS, but AWS specifically uses `AES256` as the identifier for SSE-S3, while `aws:kms` is used for SSE-KMS.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the `put-bucket-encryption` API stores the encryption configuration as a bucket policy subresource; the `SSEAlgorithm` field accepts `AES256` for SSE-S3 or `aws:kms` for SSE-KMS (with optional `KMSMasterKeyID`). A subtle behavior is that if you specify `AES256` but the bucket already has a default encryption rule, the command overwrites the existing rule entirely. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for compliance automation, where you must ensure the correct algorithm is set to avoid accidental use of KMS (which incurs additional costs and requires key permissions).
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
| Algorithm | Key Size | Block Size | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES-128 | 128-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | NIST approved; WPA3, TLS |
| AES-256 | 256-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | Preferred for sensitive / govt data |
| 3DES | 112-bit effective | 64-bit | Deprecated (2023) | Replaced by AES |
| DES | 56-bit | 64-bit | Broken | Cracked in < 24 h; never deploy |
| ChaCha20 | 256-bit | Stream cipher | Current | TLS 1.3, WireGuard |
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FAQ
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Default encryption is enabled on the bucket using SSE-S3. — The command `aws s3api put-bucket-encryption --bucket my-bucket --server-side-encryption-configuration '{"Rules":[{"ApplyServerSideEncryptionByDefault":{"SSEAlgorithm":"AES256"}}]}'` enables default encryption on the bucket using SSE-S3, because `AES256` is the algorithm identifier for SSE-S3 (Amazon S3-managed keys). The command succeeds and sets the default encryption configuration to use server-side encryption with S3-managed keys, which is the standard SSE-S3 behavior.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
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. Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer runs the command shown and gets the output. What does this output indicate about the bucket's encryption configuration?
easyWhy D: The output shows that default encryption is set to AES256, which corresponds to SSE-S3. This means new objects uploaded to the bucket will be encrypted with SSE-S3 unless a different encryption header is provided. Therefore, option D is correct. Option A is incorrect because the default encryption setting does not prevent unencrypted objects from being uploaded if the client does not provide encryption headers—it only applies encryption by default. Option B is incorrect because SSE-KMS uses a different key management service, not AES256. Option C is incorrect because default encryption does not require all objects to be encrypted with SSE-KMS; it sets a server-side default, but clients can override with their own encryption settings.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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