The answer is that the Deny statement only blocks non-HTTPS requests, not unauthorized IP addresses. The policy’s Deny effect uses a condition for `aws:SecureTransport` set to `false`, which means it only denies traffic that is not encrypted via HTTPS. It contains no condition referencing `aws:SourceIp` or any IP address range, so requests from outside the allowed IP range that use HTTPS are permitted. On the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate DEA-C01 exam, this scenario tests your ability to read S3 bucket policy statements carefully and distinguish between conditions that control encryption versus those that control network origin. A common trap is assuming a Deny statement with any condition blocks all unauthorized access, when in fact the condition must match the specific violation. To remember this, think: “SecureTransport blocks the insecure, not the intruder”—the policy only cares about encryption, not the requester’s location.
DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
This DEA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of data security and governance. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A data engineer applies this bucket policy to an S3 bucket named my-data-bucket. The bucket contains sensitive data. The company's security team reports that data was accessed from an IP address outside the allowed range. What is the MOST likely reason that the policy failed to block the unauthorized access?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The Deny statement does not restrict access based on IP address; it only denies non-HTTPS requests.
Option C is correct because the Deny statement in the policy only denies requests that are not using HTTPS (SecureTransport: false). It does not include any condition to restrict access based on IP address. Therefore, a request made from an IP outside the allowed range but using HTTPS would not be denied by this policy, allowing unauthorized access to the sensitive data.
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 Deny statement's condition on SecureTransport overrides the IP condition.
Why it's wrong here
SecureTransport condition does not affect IP-based access.
✗
The policy has a syntax error in the Condition element.
Why it's wrong here
The syntax is correct.
✓
The Deny statement does not restrict access based on IP address; it only denies non-HTTPS requests.
Why this is correct
The Deny only applies to non-SecureTransport, not to IP addresses outside the allowed range.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The bucket policy does not apply to requests made from within the same AWS account.
Why it's wrong here
Bucket policies apply to all principals, including same account.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume a Deny statement with any condition will block all unauthorized access, but in reality, each condition must be explicitly specified to deny the intended requests.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In AWS S3 bucket policies, each statement is evaluated independently. A Deny statement with a condition on SecureTransport only blocks HTTP requests; it does not block HTTPS requests from unauthorized IPs. To block both, you would need a separate Deny statement with an IpAddress condition or combine conditions using a logical AND in a single statement. This is a common misconfiguration where security teams assume a Deny on one condition implicitly covers others.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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 Deny statement does not restrict access based on IP address; it only denies non-HTTPS requests. — Option C is correct because the Deny statement in the policy only denies requests that are not using HTTPS (SecureTransport: false). It does not include any condition to restrict access based on IP address. Therefore, a request made from an IP outside the allowed range but using HTTPS would not be denied by this policy, allowing unauthorized access to the sensitive data.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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