The correct answer is that the user can stop the instance because the IAM policy explicitly allows ec2:StopInstances and contains no explicit deny for that action. In AWS IAM policy evaluation logic, an explicit allow overrides any default implicit deny, but an explicit deny always overrides any allow. Since the policy only denies ec2:TerminateInstances and not StopInstances, the explicit allow for StopInstances takes effect, granting the user permission. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this concept frequently appears in questions testing your understanding of the order of evaluation: explicit deny, then explicit allow, then default deny. A common trap is confusing a deny on a related action, like TerminateInstances, with a deny on StopInstances—they are separate API calls. Remember the mnemonic: “Explicit Deny is the final boss; it always wins, but only for the exact action it names.”
DOP-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The user can stop the instance.
Option A is correct because the policy explicitly allows ec2:StopInstances and does not deny it. Option B is wrong because there is no explicit deny for StopInstances. Option C is wrong because the deny only applies to TerminateInstances. Option D is wrong because the policy allows StopInstances.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 user is denied due to an implicit deny.
Why it's wrong here
Implicit deny is overridden by explicit allow.
✗
The user cannot stop the instance because there is no explicit allow for all instances.
Why it's wrong here
The resource is instance/*, which matches the specific instance.
✗
The user cannot stop the instance because the Deny statement overrides the Allow.
Why it's wrong here
The Deny is for TerminateInstances, not StopInstances.
✓
The user can stop the instance.
Why this is correct
Explicit allow for StopInstances.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The user can stop the instance. — Option A is correct because the policy explicitly allows ec2:StopInstances and does not deny it. Option B is wrong because there is no explicit deny for StopInstances. Option C is wrong because the deny only applies to TerminateInstances. Option D is wrong because the policy allows StopInstances.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Given the above IAM policy, which action is permitted?
easy
✓ A.Invoke the Lambda function MyFunction in us-east-1 account 123456789012
B.Read objects from an S3 bucket
C.Create a Lambda function
D.Start an EC2 instance
Why A: The policy explicitly allows the lambda:InvokeFunction action on the specified function ARN. Option A is correct. It does not allow other Lambda actions (B), S3 actions (C), or EC2 actions (D).
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
Question Discussion
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This DOP-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 DOP-C02 exam.
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