This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. 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.
A developer needs to grant least-privilege access to a Lambda function to write logs to CloudWatch Logs. Which IAM policy effect should be used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Always allow
Why wrong: Not a valid IAM policy effect.
Allow
Allow grants the specified permissions.
Deny
Why wrong: Deny is used to block access, not grant it.
Revoke
Why wrong: Not a valid IAM policy effect.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Allow
Option B is correct because the policy should explicitly allow the necessary actions. Option A is wrong because Deny is used to explicitly deny access. Option C is wrong because Allow is the correct effect. Option D is wrong because Revoke is not an IAM policy effect.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Always allow
Why it's wrong here
Not a valid IAM policy effect.
Allow
Why this is correct
Allow grants the specified permissions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
Deny
Why it's wrong here
Deny is used to block access, not grant it.
Revoke
Why it's wrong here
Not a valid IAM policy effect.
Common exam traps
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related DVA-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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FAQ
Security — This question tests Security — Authentication checks who the user is..
The correct answer is: Allow — Option B is correct because the policy should explicitly allow the necessary actions. Option A is wrong because Deny is used to explicitly deny access. Option C is wrong because Allow is the correct effect. Option D is wrong because Revoke is not an IAM policy effect.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related DVA-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 exam.
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