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Question 785 of 1,000

ML Solution Monitoring, Maintenance and Security →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Least Privilege KMS Permissions for SageMaker Endpoint Accessing Encrypted S3

This MLA-C01 practice question tests your understanding of ml solution monitoring, maintenance and security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 healthcare startup has deployed a machine learning model on Amazon SageMaker that predicts patient readmission risks. The model uses sensitive health data stored in an S3 bucket encrypted with AWS KMS. The SageMaker endpoint is configured with an IAM role that has the following policy attached: { "Version": "2012-10-17", "Statement": [ { "Effect": "Allow", "Action": "s3:*", "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::healthcare-data/*", "Condition": { "Bool": { "aws:SecureTransport": "true" } } }, { "Effect": "Allow", "Action": "kms:Decrypt", "Resource": "*" } ] }. During a security audit, the team discovers that the IAM role's KMS permission is too permissive because it allows decryption of any KMS key in the account. The team needs to modify the policy to follow the principle of least privilege while still allowing the SageMaker endpoint to read the encrypted data. Which modification should the team make?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.

A
Change the KMS statement Action to "kms:DescribeKey" instead of "kms:Decrypt"
Why wrong: Changing the Action to kms:DescribeKey does not allow decryption; the endpoint cannot read encrypted data.
B
Add a condition to the KMS statement: "Condition": { "StringEquals": { "kms:ViaService": "s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com" } }
Why wrong: Adding a condition like kms:ViaService still allows decryption of any KMS key accessed via S3, not least privilege.
C
Remove the KMS statement entirely, as S3 bucket policies with SSE-KMS do not require KMS permissions
Why wrong: Removing the KMS statement denies the endpoint the ability to decrypt S3 objects encrypted with SSE-KMS.
D
Change the KMS statement to: "Action": "kms:Decrypt", "Resource": "arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:123456789012:key/1234abcd-12ab-34cd-56ef-1234567890ab"
Restricting the Resource to the specific KMS key ARN limits decryption to only that key, following least privilege.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

Change the KMS statement to: "Action": "kms:Decrypt", "Resource": "arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:123456789012:key/1234abcd-12ab-34cd-56ef-1234567890ab"

Option D is correct because it restricts the KMS Decrypt permission to the specific key used for the S3 bucket, following least privilege. Option A (kms:DescribeKey) does not allow decryption and would break the endpoint. Option B (removing the KMS statement entirely) would also break decryption. Option C (adding a kms:ViaService condition) still allows decryption of any KMS key when the request comes via S3, which is not least privilege.

Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
Change the KMS statement Action to "kms:DescribeKey" instead of "kms:Decrypt"
Why it's wrong here
Changing the Action to kms:DescribeKey does not allow decryption; the endpoint cannot read encrypted data.
✗
Add a condition to the KMS statement: "Condition": { "StringEquals": { "kms:ViaService": "s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com" } }
Why it's wrong here
Adding a condition like kms:ViaService still allows decryption of any KMS key accessed via S3, not least privilege.
✗
Remove the KMS statement entirely, as S3 bucket policies with SSE-KMS do not require KMS permissions
Why it's wrong here
Removing the KMS statement denies the endpoint the ability to decrypt S3 objects encrypted with SSE-KMS.
✓
Change the KMS statement to: "Action": "kms:Decrypt", "Resource": "arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:123456789012:key/1234abcd-12ab-34cd-56ef-1234567890ab"
Why this is correct
Restricting the Resource to the specific KMS key ARN limits decryption to only that key, following least privilege.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization

Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.

TExam Day Tips

Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.

Key takeaway

Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.

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 Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related MLA-C01 questions on access control and AAA configuration.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this MLA-C01 question test?

ML Solution Monitoring, Maintenance and Security — This question tests ML Solution Monitoring, Maintenance and Security — Authentication checks who the user is..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Change the KMS statement to: "Action": "kms:Decrypt", "Resource": "arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:123456789012:key/1234abcd-12ab-34cd-56ef-1234567890ab" — Option D is correct because it restricts the KMS Decrypt permission to the specific key used for the S3 bucket, following least privilege. Option A (kms:DescribeKey) does not allow decryption and would break the endpoint. Option B (removing the KMS statement entirely) would also break decryption. Option C (adding a kms:ViaService condition) still allows decryption of any KMS key when the request comes via S3, which is not least privilege.

What should I do if I get this MLA-C01 question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Authentication checks who the user is.

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