Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company stores sensitive audit reports in an Amazon S3 bucket. An external auditor needs to download a specific report for a compliance review. The auditor does not have an AWS account and will only need access for 48 hours. The company wants to provide a secure, time-limited link that allows the auditor to download the file directly from S3 without making the bucket public or requiring the auditor to authenticate with AWS. Which AWS feature should the company use to meet these requirements?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
S3 bucket policy with a condition that restricts access by IP address
An S3 bucket policy with an IP address condition would allow requests from that IP, but requests still require valid AWS credentials (e.g., Signature V4) unless the bucket is made public. This does not provide a simple time-limited link for a user without credentials, and it would open access to all objects from that IP, not just the specific file.
B
Distractor review
IAM role with cross-account access for the auditor's AWS account
An IAM role with cross-account access requires the auditor to have an AWS account and to assume the role. The auditor does not have an AWS account, so this option does not meet the requirement. Moreover, it would grant access to all resources the role allows, not a single time-limited download.
C
Best answer
S3 presigned URL generated with a 48-hour expiration
An S3 presigned URL is the correct solution. It allows the company to generate a URL that provides temporary access to a specific S3 object. The URL includes a signature that expires after the specified time (48 hours). The auditor can simply use the URL to download the file without needing AWS credentials or any other authentication, and the bucket remains private.
D
Distractor review
CloudFront signed URL using a trusted key group
A CloudFront signed URL can also provide temporary access, but it requires a CloudFront distribution configured for the S3 bucket. The question does not indicate that the company uses CloudFront, and implementing a distribution adds unnecessary complexity. An S3 presigned URL is the simpler, direct feature designed for this exact use case without needing additional services.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A developer needs to launch a test server for a new application prototype. The developer logs into the AWS Management Console, selects an Amazon EC2 instance type, configures the security group, and starts the instance. The instance is running within two minutes, and the developer did not need to submit a formal request to the company's IT procurement team or wait for approval from a cloud administrator. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this scenario best demonstrate?
Question 2
A solutions architect is planning a new web application on AWS. The workload will include 3 Amazon EC2 instances (t3.medium) running 24/7, an Application Load Balancer, and an Amazon RDS for MySQL db.t3.small database. The architect needs to estimate the monthly cost for the first year, considering different purchasing options (On-Demand, 1-year All Upfront Reserved Instance, and Compute Savings Plan). Which AWS tool should the architect use to create this estimate?
Question 3
A company's development team frequently needs temporary test environments. A developer can log into the AWS Management Console, select an Amazon EC2 instance type, configure storage, and launch the instance within minutes without any interaction with the IT infrastructure team. This capability is an example of which essential characteristic of cloud computing?
Question 4
A company's finance team needs to analyze AWS spending in detail. They require a report that includes hourly cost data for each AWS service, each individual resource (e.g., a specific EC2 instance), and any cost allocation tags applied. The team plans to export this data to an Amazon S3 bucket and then import it into a custom business intelligence (BI) analytics dashboard. Which AWS tool should the finance team use to generate this level of detailed cost data?
Question 5
A company uses AWS for its development environment. The finance team wants to set a monthly budget of $10,000. They want to receive an email notification when the actual costs reach 80% of the budget ($8,000) and again when costs exceed the budget. The team needs a managed AWS service that can automatically send these alerts without requiring custom code or third-party tools. Which AWS service should the team use?
Question 6
A company uses AWS Organizations to manage multiple accounts. The security team needs to enforce a policy that restricts SSH access (port 22) from the internet (0.0.0.0/0) in all VPCs across all accounts. The team wants to centrally define the allowed rules and automatically apply them to newly created VPCs and security groups, while also automatically remediating any existing non-compliant security groups. Which AWS service should the team use?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: S3 presigned URL generated with a 48-hour expiration — This question tests knowledge of secure, temporary access to S3 objects for a user without AWS credentials. S3 presigned URLs are the appropriate solution as they grant time-limited access to a specific object without requiring the user to have AWS credentials or exposing the bucket publicly. Other options either require the auditor to have an AWS account (IAM cross-account role) or introduce unnecessary complexity (CloudFront signed URLs) or are less secure (bucket policy with IP restriction).
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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