← SOA-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 737 of 1,546

Security and Compliance →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SOA-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question

This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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.

An organization uses AWS KMS to encrypt data in S3. A SysOps administrator needs to ensure that KMS keys cannot be deleted accidentally. What is the MOST effective way to protect against accidental key deletion?

A
Disable the KMS key so it cannot be used but can still be deleted.
Why wrong: Disabling does not prevent deletion.
B
Create a backup of the KMS key in another AWS Region.
Why wrong: KMS keys cannot be backed up or exported.
C
Use a service control policy (SCP) to deny the kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion action.
Why wrong: SCPs cannot deny actions for the same account's root user.
D
Set a high waiting period (e.g., 30 days) for key deletion and require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for the deletion.
The waiting period and MFA provide a safety window and additional authorization.

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

✓

Set a high waiting period (e.g., 30 days) for key deletion and require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for the deletion.

Option D is correct because AWS KMS allows you to set a waiting period (customizable up to 30 days) for key deletion and optionally require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for the deletion. This provides a safeguard against accidental deletion, as the key is disabled during the waiting period and deletion can be canceled. Option A is wrong because disabling a key does not prevent deletion; the key can still be scheduled for deletion. Option B is wrong because KMS keys are not exportable and cannot be backed up. Option C is wrong because SCPs apply at the account level and cannot restrict actions within the same account; they are used for cross-account 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.

✗
Disable the KMS key so it cannot be used but can still be deleted.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling does not prevent deletion.
✗
Create a backup of the KMS key in another AWS Region.
Why it's wrong here
KMS keys cannot be backed up or exported.
✗
Use a service control policy (SCP) to deny the kms:ScheduleKeyDeletion action.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs cannot deny actions for the same account's root user.
✓
Set a high waiting period (e.g., 30 days) for key deletion and require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for the deletion.
Why this is correct
The waiting period and MFA provide a safety window and additional authorization.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.

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 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

AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison

Storage Class	Min Duration	Retrieval	Use Case
S3 Standard	None	Immediate	Frequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA	30 days	Immediate	Infrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA	30 days	Immediate	Non-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-Tiering	None	Immediate–hours	Unknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant	90 days	Milliseconds	Archive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible	90 days	Minutes–hours	Archive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive	180 days	Hours	Long-term compliance archive

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 SOA-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SOA-C02 question test?

Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Standard ACLs match source addresses..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Set a high waiting period (e.g., 30 days) for key deletion and require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for the deletion. — Option D is correct because AWS KMS allows you to set a waiting period (customizable up to 30 days) for key deletion and optionally require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for the deletion. This provides a safeguard against accidental deletion, as the key is disabled during the waiting period and deletion can be canceled. Option A is wrong because disabling a key does not prevent deletion; the key can still be scheduled for deletion. Option B is wrong because KMS keys are not exportable and cannot be backed up. Option C is wrong because SCPs apply at the account level and cannot restrict actions within the same account; they are used for cross-account policies.

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

What is the key concept behind this question?

Standard ACLs match source addresses.

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