- A
Apply a service control policy (SCP) to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock and s3:PutBucketEncryption if the configuration does not meet requirements.
Correct: SCPs can deny non-compliant actions across accounts.
- B
Use an S3 bucket policy that denies all principals unless encryption is enabled.
Why wrong: Wrong: Bucket policies are per-bucket and not organization-wide.
- C
Create an AWS Config conformance pack with rules that check for encryption and public access, and auto-remediate non-compliant buckets.
Correct: Config rules can detect and remediate non-compliance.
- D
Enable AWS CloudTrail to monitor bucket creation and send alerts to the security team.
Why wrong: Wrong: CloudTrail only logs, not enforce.
- E
Create an IAM role in each account that requires MFA for creating S3 buckets.
Why wrong: Wrong: Does not enforce encryption or public access settings.
Quick Answer
The correct approaches are using Service Control Policies (SCPs) to deny non-compliant bucket creation and AWS Config conformance packs with auto-remediation rules. SCPs operate at the AWS Organizations root or OU level, allowing you to enforce S3 bucket encryption and block public access across accounts by explicitly denying any PutBucketEncryption or PutBucketPublicAccessBlock requests that don’t meet your standards—this prevents non-compliant buckets from being created in the first place. AWS Config conformance packs then provide a detective and corrective layer, continuously evaluating existing buckets and automatically remediating any that fall out of compliance, such as by applying encryption or disabling public access. On the ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of governance at scale: SCPs are preventive guardrails, while Config is reactive enforcement. A common trap is confusing CloudTrail or IAM roles for enforcement—CloudTrail only logs, and IAM roles can’t apply organization-wide policies. Memory tip: “SCPs say no, Config fixes the mess.”
ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. 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.
A company is designing a multi-account AWS environment using AWS Organizations. They need to enforce that all new S3 buckets created across accounts have encryption enabled and block public access. Which TWO approaches meet these requirements? (Choose two.)
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
Apply a service control policy (SCP) to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock and s3:PutBucketEncryption if the configuration does not meet requirements.
Option A is correct because SCPs can deny actions that create buckets without encryption or with public access allowed, enforcing the policy across all accounts. Option C is correct because AWS Config rules can be applied via a conformance pack to detect and remediate non-compliant buckets. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail only logs API calls; it cannot enforce or remediate. Option D is wrong because IAM roles in individual accounts cannot enforce organization-wide policies; they grant permissions to principals. Option E is wrong because bucket policies are per-bucket and cannot be enforced globally across all accounts.
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.
- ✓
Apply a service control policy (SCP) to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock and s3:PutBucketEncryption if the configuration does not meet requirements.
Why this is correct
Correct: SCPs can deny non-compliant actions across accounts.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✗
Use an S3 bucket policy that denies all principals unless encryption is enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Bucket policies are per-bucket and not organization-wide.
- ✓
Create an AWS Config conformance pack with rules that check for encryption and public access, and auto-remediate non-compliant buckets.
Why this is correct
Correct: Config rules can detect and remediate non-compliance.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to monitor bucket creation and send alerts to the security team.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: CloudTrail only logs, not enforce.
- ✗
Create an IAM role in each account that requires MFA for creating S3 buckets.
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Does not enforce encryption or public access settings.
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 ANS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply a service control policy (SCP) to the root organizational unit that denies s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock and s3:PutBucketEncryption if the configuration does not meet requirements. — Option A is correct because SCPs can deny actions that create buckets without encryption or with public access allowed, enforcing the policy across all accounts. Option C is correct because AWS Config rules can be applied via a conformance pack to detect and remediate non-compliant buckets. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail only logs API calls; it cannot enforce or remediate. Option D is wrong because IAM roles in individual accounts cannot enforce organization-wide policies; they grant permissions to principals. Option E is wrong because bucket policies are per-bucket and cannot be enforced globally across all accounts.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 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 ANS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on ANS-C01
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. A financial services company has a multi-account AWS environment managed via AWS Organizations. The security team needs to enforce that all Amazon S3 buckets across the organization are encrypted with AWS KMS using a specific customer managed key (CMK) from the security account. Currently, some accounts have S3 buckets with SSE-S3 encryption or no encryption. The security team must not be able to read the data in the buckets, but must be able to detect and remediate non-compliant buckets. The solution must use AWS native services and minimize operational overhead. Which combination of actions should the security team take?
hard- A.Enable AWS Config in each member account individually and create a custom rule using AWS Lambda to check bucket encryption, then send compliance results to the security account via Amazon EventBridge.
- B.Use a service control policy (SCP) to deny s3:PutObject unless the request includes a specific KMS key ID.
- ✓ C.Create an AWS Config rule in the security account with an organization conformance pack to check bucket encryption settings, and use an automatic remediation action with AWS Systems Manager Automation to apply the required KMS key.
- D.Enable AWS CloudTrail in the security account and create a metric filter to detect PutBucketEncryption API calls, then trigger a Lambda function to remediate.
Why C: Option C is correct because using AWS Config rules with an organization-level conformance pack allows centralized enforcement. The custom rule can check bucket encryption settings, and the remediation action (SSM automation) can apply the correct KMS key. The security team can view compliance without accessing the data. Option A is wrong because SCPs can only deny actions, not enforce specific encryption settings proactively. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail trails only log events, they do not enforce policies. Option D is wrong because enabling AWS Config in every account individually creates operational overhead and does not allow organization-wide enforcement easily.
Variation 2. A company has a multi-account AWS environment using AWS Organizations. They need to enforce that all newly created S3 buckets are encrypted with SSE-KMS using a specific KMS key. Which policy should they use?
hard- A.S3 bucket policy on each bucket
- B.IAM policy in each account
- C.AWS Config rule with auto-remediation
- ✓ D.SCP in AWS Organizations
Why D: Option C is correct because a Service Control Policy (SCP) can be applied at the organizational unit level to deny creation of S3 buckets that do not have the required encryption. Option A is wrong because IAM policies are per account and not centrally enforceable across all accounts. Option B is wrong because bucket policies are per bucket and cannot prevent creation. Option D is wrong because AWS Config rules can detect non-compliant buckets after creation but cannot prevent creation.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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