The correct approach is to apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies S3 bucket creation without block public access enabled across the AWS Organization. This works because SCPs act as a centralized guardrail, allowing you to enforce S3 block public access by denying the s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock action or by requiring specific settings at the organizational root, OU, or account level—preventing any non-compliant bucket from being created regardless of individual account permissions. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of preventive vs. detective controls; a common trap is choosing AWS Config (detective) or CloudTrail (logging) when the question explicitly asks for enforcement. Remember the key distinction: SCPs prevent the action, while Config only alerts after the fact. Memory tip: "SCP stops the drop"—if you need to block a bucket from being created without public access, think SCP first.
ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. 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 uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team needs to enforce that all S3 buckets in the organization have block public access enabled. Which approach should be used?
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) that denies bucket creation without block public access.
Option C is correct because a service control policy (SCP) can deny the s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock action or enforce the block public access settings. Option A is wrong because IAM roles in each account would require manual management. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail only logs, does not enforce. Option D is wrong because AWS Config can detect noncompliance but not enforce automatically in real-time.
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.
✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to monitor bucket creation and alert.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs events but does not prevent noncompliant actions.
✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect and remediate noncompliant buckets.
Why it's wrong here
Config rules can remediate but may have a delay; SCP provides preventive control.
✓
Apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies bucket creation without block public access.
Why this is correct
SCPs can centrally enforce policies across all accounts.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
Create an IAM role in each account that restricts bucket permissions.
Why it's wrong here
IAM roles do not automatically enforce settings across all buckets.
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.
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) that denies bucket creation without block public access. — Option C is correct because a service control policy (SCP) can deny the s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock action or enforce the block public access settings. Option A is wrong because IAM roles in each account would require manual management. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail only logs, does not enforce. Option D is wrong because AWS Config can detect noncompliance but not enforce automatically in real-time.
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 →
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 company uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to centrally enforce that no Amazon S3 buckets are publicly accessible across all accounts. Which solution meets this requirement with the least operational overhead?
medium
A.Use AWS Trusted Advisor to check for public buckets and send alerts.
✓ B.Apply a service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations that denies the s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock action or enforces a bucket policy condition.
C.Create an IAM role in each account with a policy to deny public bucket access, and require users to assume that role.
D.Configure security group rules to block public internet access to the S3 endpoints.
Why B: Option C is correct because an SCP can be applied at the root OU to deny the s3:PutBucketPublicAccessBlock action or enforce a specific bucket policy. Option A is wrong because IAM roles are per-account and cannot centrally enforce across accounts. Option B is wrong because Trusted Advisor provides recommendations, not enforcement. Option D is wrong because security groups are for EC2, not S3.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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This ANS-C01 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 ANS-C01 exam.
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