AWS DVA-C02 Drill: SQS Encryption - Ensuring Data-at-Rest Security

Jeff’s Note

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Unlike generic exam dumps, ADH analyzes this scenario through the lens of a Real-World Lead Developer.

For DVA-C02 candidates, the confusion often lies in understanding the exact method to enforce data encryption at rest for message queues, beyond just transport security. In production, this is about knowing exactly how AWS handles encryption of SQS messages at rest with server-side encryption options and what API features apply. Let’s drill down.

The Certification Drill (Simulated Question)

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Scenario

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DataEdge Solutions is building a resilient microservices platform that relies on Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS) to decouple communication between components. Some of the messages exchanged contain sensitive user data. The lead developer has been tasked with ensuring that all messages stored in SQS queues are encrypted at rest without impacting the normal message workflow.

The Requirement:

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Design and implement a solution to encrypt all SQS messages while at rest within the queue.

The Options

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• A) Enable server-side encryption for the SQS queue using an SQS-managed AWS Key Management Service (KMS) key (SSE-SQS).
• B) Use the aws:SecureTransport condition in the SQS queue policy to ensure all requests use HTTPS (TLS).
• C) Use AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) to generate an SSL/TLS certificate and reference it when sending messages to the queue.
• D) Set a message attribute in the SendMessage request for each message with Name=ENCRYPT and Value=TRUE.

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Correct Answer

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A

Quick Insight: The Developer Imperative

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For developers, the critical distinction is between encrypting data in transit versus at rest. Options B and C focus on transport-layer security, not encryption of stored messages. Option D is a non-functional custom attribute that does not trigger encryption. Only Option A leverages SQS’s built-in server-side encryption (SSE) with KMS-managed keys to transparently handle message encryption at rest without additional client-side logic or attributes.

Content Locked: The Expert Analysis

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You’ve identified the answer. But do you know the implementation details that separate a Junior from a Senior?

The Expert’s Analysis

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Correct Answer

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Option A

The Winning Logic

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Amazon SQS supports server-side encryption (SSE) using AWS KMS keys — referred to as SSE-SQS. Enabling SSE on the queue automatically encrypts all messages at rest using an AWS-managed customer master key (CMK) or a customer-managed key. This encryption layer is transparent to producers and consumers; APIs SendMessage and ReceiveMessage behave the same without modification.

• This ensures compliance with data protection requirements for sensitive information.
• No client-side encryption or special message attributes are required.
• AWS handles encryption key rotation and auditability via KMS.

The Trap (Distractor Analysis):

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• Option B: The aws:SecureTransport condition ensures that API requests use HTTPS (TLS) — encrypting data in transit — but does not encrypt data at rest inside the queue.
• Option C: ACM certificates are for securing endpoints (e.g., HTTPS websites or API Gateway), not for encrypting SQS messages. SQS itself does not accept a TLS certificate reference in message requests.
• Option D: Setting a custom message attribute to signal encryption (ENCRYPT=TRUE) is semantic, but SQS does not interpret this attribute to perform encryption. Encryption must be configured at the queue level.

The Technical Blueprint

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B) For Developer (Code/CLI Snippet):

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Enable server-side encryption on an existing queue with AWS CLI:

aws sqs set-queue-attributes \
  --queue-url https://sqs.<region>.amazonaws.com/123456789012/my-queue \
  --attributes KmsMasterKeyId=alias/aws/sqs,KmsDataKeyReusePeriodSeconds=300,SqsManagedSseEnabled=true

Or when creating a queue:

aws sqs create-queue \
  --queue-name my-secure-queue \
  --attributes KmsMasterKeyId=alias/aws/sqs

The Comparative Analysis

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Real-World Application (Practitioner Insight)

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Exam Rule

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For the exam, always pick SSE-SQS when the question asks for “encrypt all data at rest in SQS.”

Real World

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In some cases, customers implement client-side encryption SDKs to encrypt sensitive payloads before sending them to SQS, adding a separate envelope encryption layer for end-to-end security. But by default, SSE-SQS covers most use cases effectively.

(CTA) Stop Guessing, Start Mastering

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Disclaimer

This is a study note based on simulated scenarios for the DVA-C02 exam.