DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
Exhibit
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"s3:GetObject"
],
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*",
"Condition": {
"StringEquals": {
"s3:ExistingObjectTag/classification": "public"
}
}
},
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Action": "s3:*",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*",
"Condition": {
"StringNotEquals": {
"aws:SourceAccount": "123456789012"
}
}
}
]
}Refer to the exhibit. An IAM policy is attached to an IAM role used by an application. The application needs to read objects from 'my-bucket' that have the tag 'classification=public'. The application account is 123456789012. However, the application is getting 'Access Denied' errors. 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 object being accessed does not have the tag 'classification=public'.
The Allow statement grants s3:GetObject only when the request has a condition that the object tag 'classification' equals 'public' (using StringEquals). If the object being accessed does not have this tag, the Allow condition is not satisfied, and the request is implicitly denied. The Deny statement does not apply because it only denies when the source account is NOT 123456789012, and the request does come from that account. Thus, the most likely cause is that the object's tag does not match 'classification=public'.
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 uses StringNotEquals, which incorrectly denies the application account.
Why it's wrong here
StringNotEquals denies only when the account does not match; it does not deny when it matches.
- ✗
The policy does not grant s3:ListBucket permission, so the application cannot list objects.
Why it's wrong here
GetObject does not require ListBucket.
- ✓
The object being accessed does not have the tag 'classification=public'.
Why this is correct
Without the tag, the Allow condition fails, leading to implicit deny.
- ✗
The Deny statement blocks all access from accounts other than 123456789012, but the application is in that account.
Why it's wrong here
The Deny condition does not block the correct account.
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.