- A
Add an S3 bucket ACL granting the user in Account B Read access
Why wrong: ACLs are not needed and do not resolve the missing IAM permission in Account B.
- B
Create an IAM policy in Account B that allows s3:GetObject for the specific bucket and attach it to the user
The user must have explicit permission from their own account to perform the action, in addition to the bucket policy.
- C
Generate a pre-signed URL for each object and share it with the user
Why wrong: Pre-signed URLs provide temporary access but are not a permanent solution and require manual management.
- D
Add a condition in the bucket policy to allow requests only from the user's IP address
Why wrong: This would restrict access further, not solve the missing IAM permission issue.
Question 832 of 1,616
DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
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 company has an Amazon S3 bucket (Bucket-A) in Account A that contains sensitive data. A developer in Account B needs read-only access to objects in Bucket-A. The developer in Account A added a bucket policy granting s3:GetObject to the IAM user in Account B. However, the IAM user in Account B still receives Access Denied errors. What additional step is required?
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
✓
Create an IAM policy in Account B that allows s3:GetObject for the specific bucket and attach it to the user
The bucket policy in Account A grants access to the IAM user in Account B, but the user's identity in Account B must also have an explicit IAM policy that allows the s3:GetObject action. Without this, the user in Account B lacks the necessary permissions to access the bucket, even though the bucket policy permits it. This is because cross-account access requires both a resource-based policy (bucket policy) in the source account and an identity-based policy (IAM policy) in the target account to authorize the request.
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.
- ✗
Add an S3 bucket ACL granting the user in Account B Read access
Why it's wrong here
ACLs are not needed and do not resolve the missing IAM permission in Account B.
- ✓
Create an IAM policy in Account B that allows s3:GetObject for the specific bucket and attach it to the user
Why this is correct
The user must have explicit permission from their own account to perform the action, in addition to the bucket policy.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Generate a pre-signed URL for each object and share it with the user
Why it's wrong here
Pre-signed URLs provide temporary access but are not a permanent solution and require manual management.
- ✗
Add a condition in the bucket policy to allow requests only from the user's IP address
Why it's wrong here
This would restrict access further, not solve the missing IAM permission issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume a bucket policy alone is sufficient for cross-account access, forgetting that the IAM user in the target account must also have an explicit allow policy for the action.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AWS evaluates both the resource-based policy (bucket policy) and the identity-based policy (IAM user policy) when processing a cross-account request. The request is only allowed if both policies explicitly grant the action. This is a key difference from same-account access, where the identity-based policy alone is sufficient. In practice, this means developers must ensure both sides of the permission chain are configured, often leading to confusion when only the bucket policy is set.
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.
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 |
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an IAM policy in Account B that allows s3:GetObject for the specific bucket and attach it to the user — The bucket policy in Account A grants access to the IAM user in Account B, but the user's identity in Account B must also have an explicit IAM policy that allows the s3:GetObject action. Without this, the user in Account B lacks the necessary permissions to access the bucket, even though the bucket policy permits it. This is because cross-account access requires both a resource-based policy (bucket policy) in the source account and an identity-based policy (IAM policy) in the target account to authorize the request.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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