IAM Policy Evaluation: Explicit Deny Overrides Allow
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. A key principle to apply: explicit Deny. 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.
Why wrong: No access is incorrect because the user does have read and list permissions.
B
Full access to the bucket including delete.
Why wrong: Full access including delete is incorrect because delete is explicitly denied.
C
Read-only access to the bucket.
Read-only access is correct because the user can list and read objects, but cannot write or delete.
D
Full access to the bucket except delete.
Why wrong: Full access except delete is misleading because 'full access' implies write permissions, which are not granted; the user only has read and list.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Read-only access to the bucket.
The IAM policy grants only s3:GetObject and s3:ListBucket permissions, which allow reading objects and listing the bucket, and explicitly denies s3:DeleteObject. Since no write permissions (e.g., s3:PutObject) are granted, the effective permission is read-only access (list and get) with delete explicitly denied. Therefore, the user has read-only access to the bucket, not full access.
Key principle: Explicit Deny
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
No access to the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
No access is incorrect because the user does have read and list permissions.
✗
Full access to the bucket including delete.
Why it's wrong here
Full access including delete is incorrect because delete is explicitly denied.
✓
Read-only access to the bucket.
Why this is correct
Read-only access is correct because the user can list and read objects, but cannot write or delete.
Related concept
Explicit Deny
✗
Full access to the bucket except delete.
Why it's wrong here
Full access except delete is misleading because 'full access' implies write permissions, which are not granted; the user only has read and list.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often misinterpret 'full access except delete' as including write permissions, but the policy only grants read and list actions. The explicit deny on delete does not add write permissions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
IAM policy evaluation logic follows an explicit deny override: if a policy statement explicitly denies an action, that deny takes precedence over any allows, even from other policies. This is governed by the AWS IAM policy evaluation engine, which processes all applicable policies (identity-based, resource-based, etc.) and uses a default deny, then allows, then explicit deny logic. In practice, this means a single explicit deny for s3:DeleteObject in any policy attached to the user will block delete operations, regardless of other permissions.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Explicit Deny
Least Privilege
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
Explicit Deny
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.
Review explicit Deny, then practise related DVA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Security — This question tests Security — Explicit Deny.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Read-only access to the bucket. — The IAM policy grants only s3:GetObject and s3:ListBucket permissions, which allow reading objects and listing the bucket, and explicitly denies s3:DeleteObject. Since no write permissions (e.g., s3:PutObject) are granted, the effective permission is read-only access (list and get) with delete explicitly denied. Therefore, the user has read-only access to the bucket, not full access.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Review explicit Deny, then practise related DVA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Explicit Deny
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