AWS Technical Essentials Practice 2026 – The All-in-One Guide to Mastering Your Exam Essentials!

The default encryption option for Amazon S3 buckets is Server-Side Encryption with S3 Managed Keys (SSE-S3). This encryption method automatically encrypts objects when they are stored in S3 and decrypts them when they are accessed. The key management is handled by AWS, meaning that users do not need to manage encryption keys themselves, making it a convenient option for many applications.

Choosing SSE-S3 as the default ensures that data is encrypted at rest, providing a layer of protection against unauthorized access. It uses AES-256, a strong encryption standard, and all the details regarding key management are abstracted away, simplifying the encryption process for users.

The other options present various different encryption methods. Client-Side Encryption requires the client to manage encryption keys and encrypts data before it is sent to S3, which may require more operational overhead. Server-Side Encryption with AWS Managed Keys, while a viable option, is less aligned with the mainstream default setting for S3 and typically refers to the use of keys managed by AWS Key Management Service (KMS). Lastly, End-to-End Encryption implies a more complex architecture where data remains encrypted during transit and while stored, requiring specific setups that go beyond the default settings provided by S3.

Understanding