DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
Network Topology
A data engineer applies the above bucket policy to an S3 bucket containing sensitive data. The goal is to allow only encrypted (HTTPS) requests. However, a user reports being able to access an object using an HTTP (non-HTTPS) request. What is the most likely reason?
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
✓
The condition key aws:SecureTransport is used with BoolIfExists instead of Bool
The policy uses "BoolIfExists" instead of "Bool" for the aws:SecureTransport condition. "BoolIfExists" evaluates to true if the key is absent (as in HTTP requests), thus the Deny effect is not triggered, allowing HTTP access. Option A is wrong because using Allow or Deny is not the issue; the condition key's evaluation is the problem. Option B is incorrect because the resource ARN must include the bucket itself when using bucket policies, but this is not relevant here. Option D is wrong because a principal of "*" includes all authenticated users (not anonymous).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The policy uses Allow instead of Deny
Why it's wrong here
Allow with condition should still deny HTTP if condition fails, but BoolIfExists doesn't work as intended.
- ✗
The resource ARN does not include the bucket itself
Why it's wrong here
The resource includes objects, which is correct.
- ✓
The condition key aws:SecureTransport is used with BoolIfExists instead of Bool
Why this is correct
BoolIfExists allows access if the key is missing, which happens with HTTP.
- ✗
The principal is set to "*", which allows anonymous access
Why it's wrong here
Principal "*" is fine; condition should restrict.
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 |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DEA-C01 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 DEA-C01 exam.