What is a key function of S3 Object Lock?

S3 Object Lock is primarily designed to enforce write-once-read-many (WORM) data retention policies. This means that once an object is locked, it cannot be deleted or overwritten for a specified retention period. This functionality is essential for compliance with regulatory requirements or corporate governance policies that mandate the preservation of data for a certain duration without the risk of modification or deletion.

By implementing Object Lock, organizations can ensure the integrity and availability of critical data, such as financial records or healthcare information, safeguarding it against accidental or malicious changes. This promotes a secure data lifecycle management strategy and protects against data loss, making it particularly valuable in industries that are subject to strict regulatory oversight.

While features like accelerating data retrieval, providing optimized cost models, or enabling cross-region data replication are critical functionalities of Amazon S3, they do not directly relate to the primary purpose of S3 Object Lock, which centers around data retention and protection compliance measures.