S3 PutObject: IAM Policy Requiring Encryption Header
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. An IAM policy attached to a user includes the above statement. The user uploads an object to the S3 bucket without specifying any encryption header. What is the outcome?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The upload fails with an Access Denied error.
The IAM policy statement includes a condition that requires the `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption` header to be `AES256`. If the user does not specify any encryption header in the upload request, the condition is not satisfied, so the Allow effect does not apply. The default is to deny access, resulting in an Access Denied error. Option A is incorrect because SSE-KMS requires the header `aws:kms`, not `AES256`. Option B is incorrect because the condition explicitly demands encryption with AES256. Option C is incorrect because while SSE-S3 uses `AES256`, the header must be provided; without it, the condition fails and the action is denied.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The upload succeeds and the object is encrypted with SSE-KMS.
Why it's wrong here
The condition requires AES256, not KMS.
✗
The upload succeeds and the object is not encrypted.
Why it's wrong here
The condition is not met, so the action is denied.
✗
The upload succeeds and the object is encrypted with SSE-S3.
Why it's wrong here
The condition fails, so the Allow is not effective.
✓
The upload fails with an Access Denied error.
Why this is correct
The condition is not satisfied, so the Allow does not apply, and there is no other Allow statement.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DVA-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Security — This question tests Security — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The upload fails with an Access Denied error. — The IAM policy statement includes a condition that requires the `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption` header to be `AES256`. If the user does not specify any encryption header in the upload request, the condition is not satisfied, so the Allow effect does not apply. The default is to deny access, resulting in an Access Denied error. Option A is incorrect because SSE-KMS requires the header `aws:kms`, not `AES256`. Option B is incorrect because the condition explicitly demands encryption with AES256. Option C is incorrect because while SSE-S3 uses `AES256`, the header must be provided; without it, the condition fails and the action is denied.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related DVA-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
About these practice questions
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Variation 1. A developer attached the above IAM policy to an IAM user. The user tries to download an object from example-bucket using the AWS CLI without specifying server-side encryption. What will happen?
hard
A.The download succeeds because the policy allows s3:GetObject
✓ B.The download fails with an AccessDenied error
C.The download succeeds because the object is encrypted with SSE-S3
D.The download fails with a 500 Internal Server Error
Why B: The policy (not shown) conditions s3:GetObject on the request specifying server-side encryption (AES256). Since the user does not specify encryption, the condition is not met, resulting in an AccessDenied error.
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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.
Question Discussion
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