- A
Schedule a meeting with the security team and the architect to define encryption key management and audit trail requirements.
Engaging the security team to define requirements ensures compliance and addresses the CISO's concerns properly.
- B
Proceed with the architect's proposal and document that encryption is handled by AWS services.
Why wrong: This bypasses the CISO's specific concerns about key management and audit trails.
- C
Update the risk register and accept the risk related to encryption key management.
Why wrong: Risk acceptance is premature without first evaluating mitigation options.
- D
Inform the CISO that the proposed services meet all encryption requirements per AWS documentation.
Why wrong: This dismisses the CISO's valid concerns without detailed analysis.
Quick Answer
The answer is to schedule a meeting with the security team and the architect to define encryption key management and audit trail requirements. This is correct because the CISO’s concerns are governance and compliance issues that must be resolved before any technical migration proceeds; as project manager, you must facilitate stakeholder alignment to ensure the proposed solution—such as using AWS KMS for customer-managed keys and AWS CloudTrail for audit logs—meets security policies. On the Project Management Professional PMP exam, this tests your ability to manage stakeholder expectations and integrate security requirements into the planning phase, a common trap being to jump straight into technical solutions without first clarifying requirements. Remember the memory tip: “Govern before you go”—always address governance concerns like key management and audit trails before approving the migration plan.
PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
You are the project manager for a large-scale data migration project from on-premises servers to AWS. The project involves migrating 50 terabytes of sensitive customer data. The team has completed the initial assessment and is now in the planning phase. The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has mandated that all data must be encrypted in transit and at rest. Additionally, the migration must minimize downtime and ensure data integrity. The project has a tight budget and schedule. During a planning meeting, the lead architect proposes using AWS Snowball Edge devices for the initial bulk transfer, followed by AWS DataSync for ongoing replication. However, the CISO is concerned about encryption key management and audit trails. As the project manager, what should you do first to address the CISO's concerns?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Schedule a meeting with the security team and the architect to define encryption key management and audit trail requirements.
Option A is correct because the CISO's concerns about encryption key management and audit trails are legitimate governance issues that must be addressed before proceeding. As the project manager, you need to facilitate a meeting between the security team and the lead architect to define clear requirements for key management (e.g., using AWS KMS with customer-managed keys) and audit logging (e.g., AWS CloudTrail for API calls and Snowball Edge device logs). This collaborative approach ensures that the proposed technical solution aligns with organizational security policies and compliance needs, which is critical before moving forward with the migration plan.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Schedule a meeting with the security team and the architect to define encryption key management and audit trail requirements.
Why this is correct
Engaging the security team to define requirements ensures compliance and addresses the CISO's concerns properly.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Proceed with the architect's proposal and document that encryption is handled by AWS services.
Why it's wrong here
This bypasses the CISO's specific concerns about key management and audit trails.
- ✗
Update the risk register and accept the risk related to encryption key management.
Why it's wrong here
Risk acceptance is premature without first evaluating mitigation options.
- ✗
Inform the CISO that the proposed services meet all encryption requirements per AWS documentation.
Why it's wrong here
This dismisses the CISO's valid concerns without detailed analysis.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume that because AWS services handle encryption automatically, no further action is needed, but the PMP exam tests the understanding that the project manager must facilitate stakeholder collaboration to define specific security requirements, not just rely on vendor documentation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Snowball Edge devices support encryption at rest using a hardware-based Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and a 256-bit AES key that is managed by the customer via the AWS Management Console; however, the key itself is stored on the device and must be rotated or exported for compliance. For audit trails, Snowball Edge jobs log API calls to AWS CloudTrail, but granular device-level logs (e.g., file access attempts) require enabling the Snowball Edge's local logging feature and exporting those logs to Amazon S3 or CloudWatch. In a real-world scenario, a financial services firm migrating sensitive data might need to demonstrate that encryption keys are rotated every 90 days and that all data transfers are logged with user identity and timestamp, which requires explicit configuration of AWS KMS key policies and CloudTrail trails—not just default settings.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
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
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Process — Managing Technical Aspects — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — This question tests Process — Managing Technical Aspects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Schedule a meeting with the security team and the architect to define encryption key management and audit trail requirements. — Option A is correct because the CISO's concerns about encryption key management and audit trails are legitimate governance issues that must be addressed before proceeding. As the project manager, you need to facilitate a meeting between the security team and the lead architect to define clear requirements for key management (e.g., using AWS KMS with customer-managed keys) and audit logging (e.g., AWS CloudTrail for API calls and Snowball Edge device logs). This collaborative approach ensures that the proposed technical solution aligns with organizational security policies and compliance needs, which is critical before moving forward with the migration plan.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first", "minimum / minimize". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This PMP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI 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 PMP exam.
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