- A
The user is using Redshift Spectrum
Why wrong: Redshift Spectrum is a different query service.
- B
The user has S3 permissions to read the underlying data
Why wrong: S3 permissions alone do not allow Athena to query tables; Lake Formation must grant table access.
- C
The user has an IAM policy that allows Athena access
Why wrong: IAM allows Athena actions, but table-level permissions are controlled by Lake Formation.
- D
The IAMAllowedPrincipals group has been granted Super permission on the database
The IAMAllowedPrincipals group bypasses Lake Formation permissions and allows IAM users to access tables directly.
Question 1,554 of 1,786
DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data security and governance. 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. 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 uses AWS Lake Formation to manage data lake permissions. A data engineer notices that a user can query tables in Athena even though the user does not have SELECT permission on the table in Lake Formation. What could be the cause?
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 IAMAllowedPrincipals group has been granted Super permission on the database
The correct answer is D. The IAMAllowedPrincipals group is a special group in Lake Formation that, when granted permissions (such as Super), allows IAM users and roles to bypass Lake Formation permissions and access data directly via services like Athena. This is a common misconfiguration that leads to unintended data access. Option A is incorrect because Redshift Spectrum uses its own permissions, not Athena. Option B is incorrect because S3 permissions allow reading the underlying data but not querying via Athena without proper Lake Formation grants. Option C is incorrect because an IAM policy granting Athena access does not override Lake Formation permissions; the IAMAllowedPrincipals group is the key bypass mechanism.
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.
- ✗
The user is using Redshift Spectrum
Why it's wrong here
Redshift Spectrum is a different query service.
- ✗
The user has S3 permissions to read the underlying data
Why it's wrong here
S3 permissions alone do not allow Athena to query tables; Lake Formation must grant table access.
- ✗
The user has an IAM policy that allows Athena access
Why it's wrong here
IAM allows Athena actions, but table-level permissions are controlled by Lake Formation.
- ✓
The IAMAllowedPrincipals group has been granted Super permission on the database
Why this is correct
The IAMAllowedPrincipals group bypasses Lake Formation permissions and allows IAM users to access tables directly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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 DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DEA-C01 question test?
Data Security and Governance — This question tests Data Security and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The IAMAllowedPrincipals group has been granted Super permission on the database — The correct answer is D. The IAMAllowedPrincipals group is a special group in Lake Formation that, when granted permissions (such as Super), allows IAM users and roles to bypass Lake Formation permissions and access data directly via services like Athena. This is a common misconfiguration that leads to unintended data access. Option A is incorrect because Redshift Spectrum uses its own permissions, not Athena. Option B is incorrect because S3 permissions allow reading the underlying data but not querying via Athena without proper Lake Formation grants. Option C is incorrect because an IAM policy granting Athena access does not override Lake Formation permissions; the IAMAllowedPrincipals group is the key bypass mechanism.
What should I do if I get this DEA-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DEA-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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 20, 2026
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