Courseiva
easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

CCSP What does this bucket policy enforce? Practice Question

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Deny",
      "Principal": "*",
      "Action": "s3:PutObject",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::mybucket/*",
      "Condition": {
        "StringNotEquals": {
          "s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption": "aws:kms"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}

What does this bucket policy enforce?

⚠ Common exam trap

ISC2 often tests the distinction between 'requiring SSE-KMS' and 'requiring a specific KMS key'—candidates mistakenly think that any SSE-KMS condition implies a specific key, but the policy only checks the encryption type, not the key ARN.

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 policy denies all uploads unless they use SSE-KMS.

The bucket policy uses a Condition block with `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption` set to `aws:kms`, which means any upload must include the `x-amz-server-side-encryption` header with the value `aws:kms`. If the header is missing or set to any other value (e.g., `AES256` for SSE-S3), the request is denied. This enforces that all uploads use SSE-KMS, but does not require a specific KMS key unless a `kms:EncryptionContext` or `kms:KeyArn` condition is also present.

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 policy denies all uploads unless they use SSE-KMS.

    Why this is correct

    The Deny effect applies when the encryption is not 'aws:kms'.

  • All objects must be encrypted with a specific KMS key.

    Why it's wrong here

    The condition checks for the encryption method, not a specific key.

  • Any object uploaded without encryption will be denied.

    Why it's wrong here

    The condition denies anything except SSE-KMS, so even SSE-S3 encryption would be denied.

  • Only objects encrypted with SSE-S3 are allowed.

    Why it's wrong here

    SSE-S3 is not KMS, so those requests are denied.

Quick reference

AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison

Storage ClassMin DurationRetrievalUse Case
S3 StandardNoneImmediateFrequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA30 daysImmediateInfrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA30 daysImmediateNon-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-TieringNoneImmediate–hoursUnknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant90 daysMillisecondsArchive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible90 daysMinutes–hoursArchive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive180 daysHoursLong-term compliance archive

About these practice questions

Courseiva writes every CCSP question from scratch — 964 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

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.