This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 a multi-account AWS environment using AWS Organizations. The security team wants to enforce that all S3 buckets in all accounts are encrypted with SSE-S3. They plan to use an SCP to deny the creation of unencrypted buckets. The DevOps engineer writes an SCP with a Deny effect for s3:PutBucketEncryption without a condition. However, when testing, an administrator in a member account is able to create a bucket without encryption. The engineer checks CloudTrail and sees that the bucket was created with a PutBucket call that did not include the x-amz-server-side-encryption header. What is the most likely reason the SCP did not prevent this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The SCP should also deny s3:PutBucketDefaultEncryption, which is the correct action for default encryption.
Why wrong: Default encryption is set after creation.
B
The SCP denies s3:PutBucketEncryption, but the bucket creation does not call that action; it calls s3:CreateBucket. The SCP should deny s3:CreateBucket with a condition on the encryption parameter.
s3:PutBucketEncryption is for modifying encryption after creation.
C
The SCP is not attached to the organizational unit that contains the member account.
Why wrong: The engineer attached it to the root OU.
D
The member account is the management account of the organization, so SCPs do not apply.
Why wrong: Management account is not affected, but the test was in a member account.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The SCP denies s3:PutBucketEncryption, but the bucket creation does not call that action; it calls s3:CreateBucket. The SCP should deny s3:CreateBucket with a condition on the encryption parameter.
SCPs can deny the s3:PutBucketEncryption action, but the bucket is created with PutBucket, which is a different action. To enforce encryption at creation, the SCP should deny s3:CreateBucket with a condition that the encryption is not set. Option A is correct. Option B is about default encryption, which is a separate setting. Option C is about the SCP being attached to the wrong OU. Option D is about management account, but the test was in a member account.
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 SCP should also deny s3:PutBucketDefaultEncryption, which is the correct action for default encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Default encryption is set after creation.
✓
The SCP denies s3:PutBucketEncryption, but the bucket creation does not call that action; it calls s3:CreateBucket. The SCP should deny s3:CreateBucket with a condition on the encryption parameter.
Why this is correct
s3:PutBucketEncryption is for modifying encryption after creation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The SCP is not attached to the organizational unit that contains the member account.
Why it's wrong here
The engineer attached it to the root OU.
✗
The member account is the management account of the organization, so SCPs do not apply.
Why it's wrong here
Management account is not affected, but the test was in a member account.
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.
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 DOP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The SCP denies s3:PutBucketEncryption, but the bucket creation does not call that action; it calls s3:CreateBucket. The SCP should deny s3:CreateBucket with a condition on the encryption parameter. — SCPs can deny the s3:PutBucketEncryption action, but the bucket is created with PutBucket, which is a different action. To enforce encryption at creation, the SCP should deny s3:CreateBucket with a condition that the encryption is not set. Option A is correct. Option B is about default encryption, which is a separate setting. Option C is about the SCP being attached to the wrong OU. Option D is about management account, but the test was in a member account.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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 DOP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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