- A
Use bucket ACLs to grant write access to the authorized IAM roles and read access to all authenticated users.
Why wrong: ACLs are deprecated and do not support conditions or organization-wide grants.
- B
Use S3 Object Ownership to enforce bucket owner enforced. Grant write access via IAM roles.
Why wrong: Object Ownership setting alone does not restrict write access by principal.
- C
Create a bucket policy with a Deny for all principals except the authorized IAM roles on the 'landing' prefix. Add a separate statement allowing read access to the organization.
This explicitly restricts write access while allowing reads.
- D
Create an IAM policy that allows s3:PutObject only for the 'landing' prefix and attach it to the authorized roles. Allow read access via an S3 Access Point.
Why wrong: This approach does not prevent other principals from writing if they have separate permissions; no bucket policy restricts them.
Quick Answer
The correct approach is to create an S3 bucket policy with an explicit Deny for all principals except the authorized IAM roles on the 'landing' prefix, paired with a separate Allow statement granting read access to the entire organization. This works because an explicit Deny overrides any Allow, ensuring that only the specified IAM roles can write to the data lake’s landing zone, while the Allow statement uses the `aws:PrincipalOrgID` condition key to enable read access for all accounts in the AWS organization. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of controlling write access to S3 data lakes with bucket policy, specifically how to combine explicit Denies with organization-wide permissions—a common trap is relying solely on IAM policies, which cannot restrict cross-account access as effectively. Remember the memory tip: “Deny the many, Allow the org” to reinforce that a Deny statement locks down writes, while an Allow with `PrincipalOrgID` opens reads.
DEA-C01 Data Store Management Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data store management. 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 data engineer is designing a data lake on Amazon S3. The data is ingested from multiple sources and stored in a partitioned structure under the 'landing' prefix. The engineer needs to ensure that only authorized applications can write to the 'landing' zone, while all AWS accounts in the organization can read the data. Which combination of S3 bucket policies and IAM policies should be used?
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
Create a bucket policy with a Deny for all principals except the authorized IAM roles on the 'landing' prefix. Add a separate statement allowing read access to the organization.
Option C is correct because it uses a bucket policy with an explicit Deny on the 'landing' prefix for all principals except the authorized IAM roles, ensuring only those roles can write. A separate Allow statement grants read access to the entire organization (e.g., via the `aws:PrincipalOrgID` condition key), which satisfies the requirement that all AWS accounts in the organization can read the data. This approach leverages S3 bucket policies for cross-account access control without relying on ACLs or IAM policies alone.
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.
- ✗
Use bucket ACLs to grant write access to the authorized IAM roles and read access to all authenticated users.
Why it's wrong here
ACLs are deprecated and do not support conditions or organization-wide grants.
- ✗
Use S3 Object Ownership to enforce bucket owner enforced. Grant write access via IAM roles.
Why it's wrong here
Object Ownership setting alone does not restrict write access by principal.
- ✓
Create a bucket policy with a Deny for all principals except the authorized IAM roles on the 'landing' prefix. Add a separate statement allowing read access to the organization.
Why this is correct
This explicitly restricts write access while allowing reads.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create an IAM policy that allows s3:PutObject only for the 'landing' prefix and attach it to the authorized roles. Allow read access via an S3 Access Point.
Why it's wrong here
This approach does not prevent other principals from writing if they have separate permissions; no bucket policy restricts them.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse IAM policies (which are identity-based and only apply within the same account) with resource-based policies (like S3 bucket policies) that are required for cross-account access, leading them to choose Option D or A without realizing the need for an explicit Deny or organization-wide condition key.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, S3 bucket policies are evaluated as resource-based policies that can include the `aws:PrincipalOrgID` condition key to restrict access to accounts within an AWS organization. The explicit Deny in Option C uses the `NotPrincipal` element to block all principals except the authorized roles, which overrides any Allow statements that might otherwise grant write access. This pattern is critical for data lakes where the landing zone must be tightly controlled to prevent unauthorized writes that could corrupt downstream processing, while still allowing broad read access for analytics across the organization.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
Data Store Management — This question tests Data Store Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a bucket policy with a Deny for all principals except the authorized IAM roles on the 'landing' prefix. Add a separate statement allowing read access to the organization. — Option C is correct because it uses a bucket policy with an explicit Deny on the 'landing' prefix for all principals except the authorized IAM roles, ensuring only those roles can write. A separate Allow statement grants read access to the entire organization (e.g., via the `aws:PrincipalOrgID` condition key), which satisfies the requirement that all AWS accounts in the organization can read the data. This approach leverages S3 bucket policies for cross-account access control without relying on ACLs or IAM policies alone.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 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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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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