CCSP Cloud Data Security Practice Question
A small business uses a cloud provider's default server-side encryption (SSE) to encrypt data at rest in their cloud storage. They are concerned about key management overhead. Which statement best describes the key management responsibility for SSE?
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
✓
The cloud provider manages the keys entirely.
With default SSE (e.g., SSE-S3 in AWS), the cloud provider manages the encryption keys entirely. The customer is not involved in key generation, rotation, or storage. CMEK and CSEK require customer involvement. BYOK involves importing customer keys.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The customer and provider share key management responsibilities.
Why it's wrong here
With provider-managed SSE, the provider alone generates, rotates and stores the keys; the customer holds no key management duty. Shared responsibility applies to customer-managed keys in a cloud HSM or KMS, where the customer controls the key while the provider secures the infrastructure.
- ✗
Keys are not used; encryption is transparent.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption always uses keys; with provider-default SSE the cloud provider generates, stores and rotates them, so no key is absent. It is tempting because the customer performs no key tasks, and it would be correct only if the question asked who bears the management overhead.
- ✗
The customer generates and manages the keys.
Why it's wrong here
Under default SSE the cloud provider, not the customer, generates, stores and rotates the keys; customer key generation describes customer-managed or customer-supplied schemes. It is tempting because the customer remains responsible for data classification, and it would be correct where the customer supplies key material.
- ✓
The cloud provider manages the keys entirely.
Why this is correct
With provider-managed SSE, the cloud provider generates, stores and rotates the data encryption keys entirely within its own key infrastructure; the customer never handles key material. This directly satisfies the small business's stated concern about key management overhead, since no customer-side key lifecycle tasks remain.
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 |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.