The correct procedure is to share the AMI, share the underlying encrypted EBS snapshot, and grant the target account decrypt permissions on the customer managed KMS key. This is necessary because an encrypted AMI is tied to its source snapshot and the specific KMS key used for encryption; the target account cannot decrypt the snapshot without explicit decrypt access to that key, and sharing only the AMI or allowing the target to use its own key will fail since the snapshot’s encryption envelope is locked to the source key. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cross-account encrypted resource sharing, often appearing as a multi-step process where a common trap is assuming the target can simply use its own KMS key or that sharing the AMI alone suffices. A reliable memory tip is the “three-share rule”: share the AMI, share the snapshot, and share the key—missing any one breaks the launch.
SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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 wants to share an encrypted Amazon Machine Image (AMI) with another AWS account. The AMI uses an EBS snapshot encrypted with a customer managed key in KMS. What is the correct procedure to allow the other account to launch an EC2 instance from this AMI?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Share the AMI, share the snapshot, and grant the target account decrypt permissions on the KMS key.
Option A is correct because to share an encrypted AMI, you must share the AMI, the snapshot, and the KMS key with the target account. Option B is incorrect because the target account cannot use its own KMS key to decrypt a snapshot encrypted with a different key. Option C is incorrect because sharing the AMI alone is insufficient. Option D is incorrect because the source account must grant decrypt permissions; the target account does not need to create a snapshot.
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.
✗
Export the snapshot as an unencrypted snapshot and share it.
Why it's wrong here
Exporting an encrypted snapshot is not possible without decrypting it first.
✗
Share the AMI and have the target account create a new KMS key to encrypt the snapshot.
Why it's wrong here
The target account cannot decrypt the snapshot with a different key.
✗
Share only the AMI; the snapshot permissions are inherited from the AMI.
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots must be explicitly shared.
✓
Share the AMI, share the snapshot, and grant the target account decrypt permissions on the KMS key.
Why this is correct
The target account needs access to the encrypted snapshot and the key to decrypt it.
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: Share the AMI, share the snapshot, and grant the target account decrypt permissions on the KMS key. — Option A is correct because to share an encrypted AMI, you must share the AMI, the snapshot, and the KMS key with the target account. Option B is incorrect because the target account cannot use its own KMS key to decrypt a snapshot encrypted with a different key. Option C is incorrect because sharing the AMI alone is insufficient. Option D is incorrect because the source account must grant decrypt permissions; the target account does not need to create a snapshot.
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 needs to share an encrypted Amazon Machine Image (AMI) with another AWS account. The AMI was encrypted using a customer managed key (CMK) in AWS KMS. What steps are required to allow the target account to launch an EC2 instance from the shared AMI?
hard
✓ A.Modify the AMI launch permissions to include the target account and add the target account to the KMS key policy
B.Copy the AMI and share the copy; the key is automatically shared
C.Only modify the AMI launch permissions to include the target account
D.Only add the target account to the KMS key policy
Why A: Option A is correct because both the AMI and KMS key must be shared. Option B is wrong because sharing the AMI alone won't allow decryption. Option C is wrong because sharing the KMS key alone won't give AMI access. Option D is wrong because the key must be shared with the target account.
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.