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Question 146 of 1,616

Security →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is a combination of a bucket policy in Account B granting s3:GetObject to the IAM user ARN and an IAM policy in Account A allowing s3:GetObject. This is correct because cross-account S3 access with SSE-S3 requires a resource-based policy in the owning account to authorize the external principal, while the requesting account’s IAM policy must explicitly allow the same action for the user to initiate the request. SSE-S3 encryption does not add complexity here, as S3 automatically decrypts objects for authorized users, so no special key policy is needed. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this tests your understanding that cross-account access always needs two policies—one on the bucket and one on the user—and that SSE-S3 is fully managed, unlike SSE-KMS which would require additional KMS key permissions. A common trap is assuming a bucket policy alone suffices, but the IAM policy in the source account is mandatory for the user to have the effective permission. Memory tip: “Bucket for the guest, IAM for the host”—the bucket policy invites the guest account, and the IAM policy lets the user accept the invitation.

DVA-C02 Security Practice Question

This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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. A developer needs to grant an IAM user in Account A (111111111111) read-only access to an S3 bucket in Account B (222222222222). The bucket is encrypted with SSE-S3. Which combination of policies is required for cross-account access?

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Read the full NAT/PAT explanation →

A
Bucket policy in Account B granting s3:GetObject to the IAM user ARN, and an IAM policy in Account A allowing s3:GetObject.
This combination satisfies the cross-account access requirement: the bucket policy allows the specific user, and the IAM policy permits the user to use the permission.
B
Bucket policy in Account B granting s3:GetObject to Account A's root user ARN, and an IAM policy in Account A allowing s3:GetObject.
Why wrong: Granting to Account A's root user allows any IAM user in Account A with S3 permissions (including the target user) but is less secure as it broadens access unnecessarily.
C
Bucket policy in Account B granting s3:GetObject to the IAM user ARN, and no IAM policy in Account A is needed.
Why wrong: Without an IAM policy allowing the action, the user lacks permission to use the bucket policy grant. Both policies are necessary.
D
IAM policy in Account A allowing s3:GetObject, and an S3 Access Point in Account B configured for cross-account access.
Why wrong: An Access Point can simplify cross-account access, but it still requires both the bucket policy (granting access to the Access Point) and the IAM policy. This method is not the only required combination.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Bucket policy in Account B granting s3:GetObject to the IAM user ARN, and an IAM policy in Account A allowing s3:GetObject.

Option A is correct because cross-account S3 access requires both a bucket policy in the resource account (Account B) that explicitly grants the IAM user ARN from Account A the s3:GetObject permission, and an IAM policy in the user's account (Account A) that allows the same action. The bucket policy acts as a resource-based policy that authorizes the cross-account principal, while the IAM policy is necessary to authorize the user to make the request. SSE-S3 encryption does not require additional configuration because S3 handles decryption automatically for authorized users.

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.

✓
Bucket policy in Account B granting s3:GetObject to the IAM user ARN, and an IAM policy in Account A allowing s3:GetObject.
Why this is correct
This combination satisfies the cross-account access requirement: the bucket policy allows the specific user, and the IAM policy permits the user to use the permission.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Bucket policy in Account B granting s3:GetObject to Account A's root user ARN, and an IAM policy in Account A allowing s3:GetObject.
Why it's wrong here
Granting to Account A's root user allows any IAM user in Account A with S3 permissions (including the target user) but is less secure as it broadens access unnecessarily.
✗
Bucket policy in Account B granting s3:GetObject to the IAM user ARN, and no IAM policy in Account A is needed.
Why it's wrong here
Without an IAM policy allowing the action, the user lacks permission to use the bucket policy grant. Both policies are necessary.
✗
IAM policy in Account A allowing s3:GetObject, and an S3 Access Point in Account B configured for cross-account access.
Why it's wrong here
An Access Point can simplify cross-account access, but it still requires both the bucket policy (granting access to the Access Point) and the IAM policy. This method is not the only required combination.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often think only a bucket policy is needed for cross-account access, forgetting that the IAM user must also have an explicit allow in their own account's IAM policy to actually invoke the S3 API call.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, cross-account S3 access relies on the principle that the request must be authorized by both the resource-based policy (bucket policy) and the identity-based policy (IAM policy). The bucket policy must specify the principal as the IAM user ARN (arn:aws:iam::111111111111:user/username) to avoid granting access to all users in Account A. SSE-S3 uses AES-256 encryption managed by S3, and when the user has s3:GetObject permission, S3 automatically decrypts the object before returning it, so no additional KMS permissions are needed.

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.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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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: Bucket policy in Account B granting s3:GetObject to the IAM user ARN, and an IAM policy in Account A allowing s3:GetObject. — Option A is correct because cross-account S3 access requires both a bucket policy in the resource account (Account B) that explicitly grants the IAM user ARN from Account A the s3:GetObject permission, and an IAM policy in the user's account (Account A) that allows the same action. The bucket policy acts as a resource-based policy that authorizes the cross-account principal, while the IAM policy is necessary to authorize the user to make the request. SSE-S3 encryption does not require additional configuration because S3 handles decryption automatically for authorized users.

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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