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
Not true for default SSE.
- ✗
Keys are not used; encryption is transparent.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption is used, but keys are managed by provider.
- ✗
The customer generates and manages the keys.
Why it's wrong here
That describes CMEK or CSEK.
- ✓
The cloud provider manages the keys entirely.
Why this is correct
Default SSE is provider-managed key encryption.
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.