- A
aws:SourceIp
Why wrong: This condition key is used to restrict access based on the requester's IP address, not the transport protocol. It does not enforce HTTPS.
- B
aws:Referer
Why wrong: This condition key allows or denies access based on the HTTP Referer header, often used to prevent hotlinking. It does not enforce HTTPS.
- C
aws:SecureTransport
This condition key checks if the request was sent over SSL/TLS. When set to 'false', the condition matches HTTP requests, allowing the policy to deny them. This is the correct key to enforce encryption in transit.
- D
s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption
Why wrong: This condition key is used to enforce server-side encryption at rest, such as requiring AES256 or aws:kms. It does not control whether the connection uses HTTPS.
CLF-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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.
A company stores sensitive financial data in an Amazon S3 bucket. The security policy requires that all data must be encrypted in transit. The security administrator discovers that some automated scripts are using HTTP instead of HTTPS to upload files. The administrator must enforce that any request that does not use HTTPS is denied by the S3 bucket policy. Which condition key should the administrator include in the bucket policy to enforce this requirement?
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
aws:SecureTransport
Option C is correct because the `aws:SecureTransport` condition key in an S3 bucket policy evaluates whether the request was sent over HTTPS (TLS). Setting it to `false` denies any request that uses HTTP, enforcing encryption in transit as required by the security policy.
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.
- ✗
aws:SourceIp
Why it's wrong here
This condition key is used to restrict access based on the requester's IP address, not the transport protocol. It does not enforce HTTPS.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to allow S3 bucket access only from a specific corporate IP range to prevent unauthorized access from outside the network. The bucket policy would use aws:SourceIp to deny requests from IPs outside that range.
- ✗
aws:Referer
Why it's wrong here
This condition key allows or denies access based on the HTTP Referer header, often used to prevent hotlinking. It does not enforce HTTPS.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to restrict access to an S3 bucket so that only requests originating from a specific website (e.g., a corporate web application) are allowed. The administrator would use the aws:Referer condition key to deny requests that do not include the expected Referer header.
- ✓
aws:SecureTransport
Why this is correct
This condition key checks if the request was sent over SSL/TLS. When set to 'false', the condition matches HTTP requests, allowing the policy to deny them. This is the correct key to enforce encryption in transit.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption
Why it's wrong here
This condition key is used to enforce server-side encryption at rest, such as requiring AES256 or aws:kms. It does not control whether the connection uses HTTPS.
When this WOULD be correct
A company requires that all objects uploaded to an S3 bucket must be encrypted at rest using server-side encryption with AWS KMS (SSE-KMS). The bucket policy should deny any PutObject request that does not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header with value aws:kms.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The CLF-C02 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓aws:SecureTransportCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
This condition key checks if the request was sent over SSL/TLS. When set to 'false', the condition matches HTTP requests, allowing the policy to deny them. This is the correct key to enforce encryption in transit.
✗aws:SourceIpWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The aws:SourceIp condition key restricts access based on IP address, not on whether the connection uses HTTPS. It cannot enforce encryption in transit.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to allow S3 bucket access only from a specific corporate IP range to prevent unauthorized access from outside the network. The bucket policy would use aws:SourceIp to deny requests from IPs outside that range.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly think that restricting access by IP address can enforce secure connections, or they confuse network-level controls with transport encryption requirements.
✗aws:RefererWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The aws:Referer condition key checks the HTTP Referer header, which is used to identify the web page that linked to the requested resource. It does not enforce encryption in transit; it is used to prevent unauthorized cross-site requests or hotlinking.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to restrict access to an S3 bucket so that only requests originating from a specific website (e.g., a corporate web application) are allowed. The administrator would use the aws:Referer condition key to deny requests that do not include the expected Referer header.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse referer with security mechanisms, thinking it can enforce HTTPS because it involves HTTP headers, but it actually controls request origin, not transport encryption.
✗s3:x-amz-server-side-encryptionWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption condition key enforces server-side encryption at rest, not encryption in transit. The question specifically requires encryption in transit (HTTPS), which is controlled by aws:SecureTransport.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company requires that all objects uploaded to an S3 bucket must be encrypted at rest using server-side encryption with AWS KMS (SSE-KMS). The bucket policy should deny any PutObject request that does not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header with value aws:kms.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse encryption in transit with encryption at rest, or think that server-side encryption covers all encryption requirements. The option sounds security-related and appears to enforce encryption, leading to a mistaken choice.
Analysis generated from the official CLF-C02blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse `aws:SecureTransport` with other condition keys like `aws:SourceIp` or `aws:Referer`, which control different aspects of access (network origin or referrer) rather than the transport protocol itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `aws:SecureTransport` condition key checks the `SecureTransport` property of the request, which is `true` for HTTPS and `false` for HTTP. Under the hood, AWS evaluates this at the API level before processing the request, ensuring that even if a script uses HTTP, the policy denies it with a 403 error. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for compliance with standards like PCI DSS or SOC 2 that mandate encryption in transit.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: aws:SecureTransport — Option C is correct because the `aws:SecureTransport` condition key in an S3 bucket policy evaluates whether the request was sent over HTTPS (TLS). Setting it to `false` denies any request that uses HTTP, enforcing encryption in transit as required by the security policy.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services 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 CLF-C02 exam.
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