This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to enforce that all S3 buckets across all accounts have server-side encryption enabled. They have created an SCP that denies the s3:PutBucketAcl action unless the request includes the x-amz-server-side-encryption header. However, some application teams report that they cannot create buckets even when they include the required header. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
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 SCP is incorrectly targeting s3:PutBucketAcl instead of s3:CreateBucket.
Option A is correct because the SCP denies s3:PutBucketAcl, not s3:CreateBucket. The SCP should deny s3:CreateBucket unless the encryption header is present. Option B is wrong because SCPs do not evaluate resource-based policies. Option C is wrong because SCPs apply to all principals in the account. Option D is wrong because the issue is with the SCP action, not the header condition.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 SCP is incorrectly targeting s3:PutBucketAcl instead of s3:CreateBucket.
Why this is correct
The SCP should deny s3:CreateBucket unless encryption header is present.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The SCP is not applied to the root OU, only to specific accounts.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs apply to all accounts in the OU.
✗
The condition key in the SCP is misspelled.
Why it's wrong here
The condition key is correct.
✗
The SCP is being overridden by a resource-based policy on the S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs are not overridden by resource-based policies.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DVA-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Security — This question tests Security — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The SCP is incorrectly targeting s3:PutBucketAcl instead of s3:CreateBucket. — Option A is correct because the SCP denies s3:PutBucketAcl, not s3:CreateBucket. The SCP should deny s3:CreateBucket unless the encryption header is present. Option B is wrong because SCPs do not evaluate resource-based policies. Option C is wrong because SCPs apply to all principals in the account. Option D is wrong because the issue is with the SCP action, not the header condition.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DVA-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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