This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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. A key principle to apply: aWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations.. 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's security policy requires that all Amazon S3 buckets must have server-side encryption (SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS) enabled. The SysOps administrator needs to automatically detect any bucket that does not have encryption enabled and remediate it by enabling SSE-S3. Which AWS service should be used to implement this automated compliance enforcement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Config
AWS Config is the correct service because it provides managed rules (e.g., s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled) that can continuously evaluate S3 bucket configurations against the security policy. When a non-compliant bucket is detected, AWS Config can trigger an automatic remediation action via Systems Manager Automation to enable SSE-S3, enforcing compliance without manual intervention.
Key principle: AWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
AWS Config
Why this is correct
AWS Config with a managed rule can detect non-compliant buckets and trigger automatic remediation via Systems Manager or Lambda.
Related concept
AWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations.
✗
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector is for assessing vulnerabilities in EC2 instances and container images, not for S3 encryption compliance.
✗
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor can check for compliance, but it does not provide automatic remediation. It only reports issues.
✗
Amazon Macie
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Macie is used to discover and protect sensitive data in S3, not to enforce encryption settings.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config's compliance evaluation and remediation capabilities with Trusted Advisor's advisory checks, leading them to choose Trusted Advisor despite its lack of automated enforcement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AWS Config uses a managed rule that evaluates the 'x-amz-server-side-encryption' header on S3 bucket PUT requests and the bucket's default encryption configuration. When a bucket lacks encryption, AWS Config marks it as non-compliant and can invoke an AWS Systems Manager Automation document (e.g., AWS-EnableS3BucketEncryption) that programmatically applies SSE-S3 by setting the bucket's default encryption to AES256. This integration ensures that even if a bucket is created without encryption, it is automatically remediated within minutes, maintaining continuous compliance.
KKey Concepts to Remember
AWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations.
AWS Config uses rules (managed or custom) to evaluate resource compliance.
Non-compliant resources can trigger automated remediation actions via Systems Manager or Lambda.
The `s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled` managed rule checks S3 encryption.
TExam Day Tips
→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
AWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations.
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.
Review aWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — AWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Config — AWS Config is the correct service because it provides managed rules (e.g., s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled) that can continuously evaluate S3 bucket configurations against the security policy. When a non-compliant bucket is detected, AWS Config can trigger an automatic remediation action via Systems Manager Automation to enable SSE-S3, enforcing compliance without manual intervention.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review aWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
AWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations.
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Question Discussion
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