DEA-C01 Data Operations and Support Practice Question
Exhibit
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"s3:GetObject",
"s3:PutObject"
],
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-bucket/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Action": "s3:*",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::data-lake-bucket/confidential/*"
}
]
}Refer to the exhibit. An IAM policy is attached to an IAM user. The user is trying to upload an object to 's3://data-lake-bucket/confidential/report.pdf' using the AWS CLI. The upload fails with an AccessDenied error. What is the reason for the failure?
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
✓
An explicit Deny statement overrides the Allow statement for the 'confidential/' prefix.
The IAM policy includes an explicit Deny statement that denies all s3 actions on the 'confidential/' prefix. Even though there is an Allow statement that grants s3:PutObject on the bucket, the explicit Deny overrides it, causing the upload to fail with AccessDenied. Option A is incorrect because the policy does include the s3:PutObject action. Option B is incorrect because the resource ARN in the Allow statement covers the bucket and objects, but the Deny specifically targets 'confidential/'. Option C is incorrect because the user does have permission to access the bucket via the Allow statement, but the Deny blocks access to the specific object under 'confidential/'.
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 does not include 's3:PutObject' action.
Why it's wrong here
The policy includes s3:PutObject.
- ✗
The resource ARN in the Allow statement does not cover the specific object.
Why it's wrong here
The Allow covers all objects under the bucket.
- ✗
The user does not have permission to access the bucket at all.
Why it's wrong here
The user can access other prefixes.
- ✓
An explicit Deny statement overrides the Allow statement for the 'confidential/' prefix.
Why this is correct
Explicit Deny always takes precedence over Allow.
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.