- A
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policy
Why wrong: IAM policies are attached to IAM users, groups, or roles within a single account. They cannot restrict the root user of that account, and they do not apply across multiple accounts in an organization. Therefore, this option does not meet the requirement for central enforcement across all member accounts.
- B
AWS Service Control Policy (SCP)
SCPs are a feature of AWS Organizations that allow you to centrally manage permissions for all accounts in the organization. They can deny specific actions (like disabling S3 Block Public Access) for all users, including the root user, in every member account. SCPs are automatically applied to all existing and future accounts in the organizational unit to which they are attached, meeting all the requirements.
- C
AWS Config rule with automatic remediation
Why wrong: AWS Config can evaluate resource configurations against rules and trigger automatic remediation actions (e.g., re-enabling Block Public Access). However, it operates by detecting noncompliant resources after the action has occurred, not by preventing the action in the first place. It also cannot prevent the root user from taking an action and is not a preventive control.
- D
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why wrong: AWS Trusted Advisor provides best-practice checks and recommendations, including checks for S3 buckets with public access. However, it only reports on the current state; it does not enforce policies or prevent users from changing settings. It is an advisory tool, not a preventive control mechanism.
CLF-C02 Service Control Policy (SCP) Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. A key principle to apply: service Control Policy (SCP). 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 manages multiple AWS accounts using AWS Organizations. The security team needs to enforce a policy that prevents any user, including the root user, in any member account from disabling the 'Block Public Access' setting on Amazon S3 buckets. The policy must be centrally managed and automatically applied to all existing and future member accounts. Which AWS feature should the security team use?
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 Service Control Policy (SCP)
AWS Service Control Policies (SCPs) are the correct choice because they allow central management of permissions across all accounts in an AWS Organization. SCPs can explicitly deny actions like s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock at the root, OU, or account level, and they apply to all principals, including the root user, in member accounts. SCPs are automatically inherited by new accounts added to the organization, ensuring consistent enforcement without per-account configuration.
Key principle: Service Control Policy (SCP)
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 Identity and Access Management (IAM) policy
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies are attached to IAM users, groups, or roles within a single account. They cannot restrict the root user of that account, and they do not apply across multiple accounts in an organization. Therefore, this option does not meet the requirement for central enforcement across all member accounts.
When this WOULD be correct
An IAM policy would be correct if the question asked for restricting S3 'Block Public Access' settings for specific IAM users or roles within a single AWS account, and root user actions were not a concern.
- ✓
AWS Service Control Policy (SCP)
Why this is correct
SCPs are a feature of AWS Organizations that allow you to centrally manage permissions for all accounts in the organization. They can deny specific actions (like disabling S3 Block Public Access) for all users, including the root user, in every member account. SCPs are automatically applied to all existing and future accounts in the organizational unit to which they are attached, meeting all the requirements.
Related concept
Service Control Policy (SCP)
- ✗
AWS Config rule with automatic remediation
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config can evaluate resource configurations against rules and trigger automatic remediation actions (e.g., re-enabling Block Public Access). However, it operates by detecting noncompliant resources after the action has occurred, not by preventing the action in the first place. It also cannot prevent the root user from taking an action and is not a preventive control.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to automatically detect and remediate S3 buckets that have public access enabled in individual accounts, ensuring compliance with a security policy after the fact. The solution should be account-specific and not require organization-wide enforcement.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor provides best-practice checks and recommendations, including checks for S3 buckets with public access. However, it only reports on the current state; it does not enforce policies or prevent users from changing settings. It is an advisory tool, not a preventive control mechanism.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to identify which S3 buckets have public access enabled and receive recommendations to secure them. Trusted Advisor would be correct for checking compliance against AWS best practices.
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 Service Control Policy (SCP)Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
SCPs are a feature of AWS Organizations that allow you to centrally manage permissions for all accounts in the organization. They can deny specific actions (like disabling S3 Block Public Access) for all users, including the root user, in every member account. SCPs are automatically applied to all existing and future accounts in the organizational unit to which they are attached, meeting all the requirements.
✗AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policyWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
IAM policies are attached to IAM users, groups, or roles within a single account and cannot be centrally applied across all member accounts in an organization. They also cannot prevent actions by the root user.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
An IAM policy would be correct if the question asked for restricting S3 'Block Public Access' settings for specific IAM users or roles within a single AWS account, and root user actions were not a concern.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse IAM policies with SCPs, thinking that IAM policies can be applied account-wide, or they may overlook the requirement to restrict the root user and centrally manage across multiple accounts.
✗AWS Config rule with automatic remediationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS Config rules with automatic remediation can detect and fix non-compliant S3 public access settings, but they cannot prevent the root user from making changes, and they apply only after the fact, not as a preventive control. Additionally, they are not centrally managed across all accounts in an organization without additional setup.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to automatically detect and remediate S3 buckets that have public access enabled in individual accounts, ensuring compliance with a security policy after the fact. The solution should be account-specific and not require organization-wide enforcement.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that automatic remediation provides a preventive control, but it is reactive. They might also confuse AWS Config's ability to enforce rules with the preventive nature of SCPs.
✗AWS Trusted AdvisorWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor provides best-practice recommendations but cannot enforce policies or prevent actions like disabling S3 Block Public Access across accounts.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to identify which S3 buckets have public access enabled and receive recommendations to secure them. Trusted Advisor would be correct for checking compliance against AWS best practices.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think Trusted Advisor can enforce security policies because it offers security checks, but it only advises, not prevents actions.
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 often confuse AWS Config with a preventive control, but Config is detective and reactive, not preventive, and cannot block the root user or centrally enforce policies across accounts like an SCP can.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs use an allow list or deny list syntax evaluated before IAM and resource-based policies; a deny in an SCP overrides any allow in IAM. The specific action to block is s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock, and SCPs can target the root user because they operate at the AWS Organizations level, not within an account's IAM. In a real-world scenario, an SCP can be applied to a production OU to enforce that no account, even with full admin access, can disable S3 Block Public Access, which is critical for preventing data leaks.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Service Control Policy (SCP)
- Root user restriction
- Centralized enforcement
- Preventive control
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
Service Control Policy (SCP)
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.
Review service Control Policy (SCP), then practise related CLF-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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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 — Service Control Policy (SCP).
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Service Control Policy (SCP) — AWS Service Control Policies (SCPs) are the correct choice because they allow central management of permissions across all accounts in an AWS Organization. SCPs can explicitly deny actions like s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock at the root, OU, or account level, and they apply to all principals, including the root user, in member accounts. SCPs are automatically inherited by new accounts added to the organization, ensuring consistent enforcement without per-account configuration.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Review service Control Policy (SCP), then practise related CLF-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Service Control Policy (SCP)
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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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