The correct answer is to modify the bucket policy to remove the public statement and use IAM policies for access. This is because a bucket policy that grants public read access acts as a resource-based policy, which can override any identity-based IAM restrictions, effectively opening the bucket to the entire internet. By removing that public statement, you eliminate the direct grant of access to anonymous principals, and by relying solely on IAM policies, you ensure that only authenticated and authorized IAM users can read objects, adhering to the principle of least privilege. On the AWS Certified Developer Associate DVA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the critical difference between resource-based policies (like S3 bucket policies) and identity-based policies (IAM), and how they interact—a common trap is thinking that an IAM deny alone will block a public bucket policy grant, but an explicit allow in the bucket policy will prevail. Remember the memory tip: “Bucket policies grant access to the bucket; IAM policies grant access to the user—if the bucket says ‘public,’ the user’s IAM can’t shut the door.”
DVA-C02 Troubleshooting and Optimization Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting and optimization. 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 notices that an S3 bucket policy allows public read access to all objects. The bucket contains sensitive data that should only be accessible by authorized IAM users. What is the BEST way to remediate this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Modify the bucket policy to remove the public statement and use IAM policies for access.
Option B is correct because the bucket policy currently grants public read access, which overrides any IAM-based restrictions. By removing the public statement from the bucket policy and relying solely on IAM policies, access is controlled at the user level, ensuring only authorized IAM users can read objects. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and follows AWS best practices for securing S3 data.
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.
✗
Enable default encryption on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption does not control access.
✓
Modify the bucket policy to remove the public statement and use IAM policies for access.
Why this is correct
Using IAM policies allows fine-grained access control.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level.
Why it's wrong here
This blocks public access but does not remove the existing policy; also, it may not be the best for granular control.
✗
Enable S3 Object Ownership and use ACLs.
Why it's wrong here
ACLs are not recommended and do not replace IAM.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse encryption with access control, thinking that enabling encryption (Option A) will prevent unauthorized access, when in fact encryption only protects data at rest and does not affect public read permissions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 bucket policies are evaluated before IAM policies, meaning a public statement in the bucket policy grants access to anonymous principals regardless of IAM. When a bucket policy includes a `Principal: "*"` with `Effect: "Allow"` and `Action: "s3:GetObject"`, any unauthenticated request is permitted. Removing this statement and using IAM policies ensures that only authenticated users with explicit IAM permissions can access the bucket, as IAM policies are evaluated against the requester's identity. In real-world scenarios, this prevents data leaks from misconfigured bucket policies that inadvertently expose sensitive data to the internet.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Troubleshooting and Optimization — This question tests Troubleshooting and Optimization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Modify the bucket policy to remove the public statement and use IAM policies for access. — Option B is correct because the bucket policy currently grants public read access, which overrides any IAM-based restrictions. By removing the public statement from the bucket policy and relying solely on IAM policies, access is controlled at the user level, ensuring only authorized IAM users can read objects. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and follows AWS best practices for securing S3 data.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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