SAA-C03 Design Secure Architectures Practice Question
Exhibit
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "AllowAccess",
"Effect": "Allow",
"Principal": { "AWS": "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:root" },
"Action": "s3:GetObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-secure-bucket/*"
}
]
}Refer to the exhibit. This bucket policy grants access to a specific account. A user in that account still cannot access the object. What is the most likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
SAA-C03 often tests the misconception that a bucket policy alone is sufficient for cross-account access, ignoring the need for IAM permissions in the user's account.
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
✓
The user in the target account lacks IAM permissions.
The bucket policy grants cross-account access to the account, but for a user in that account to actually access the S3 object, the user must also have IAM permissions that allow the action (e.g., s3:GetObject). AWS evaluates both the bucket policy and the user's IAM policy; access is granted only if both allow it (unless an explicit deny exists). Since the bucket policy is correct, the missing piece is the user's IAM policy.
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 bucket policy needs to use 'Effect': 'Deny'.
Why it's wrong here
Using 'Deny' would explicitly block access, which is the opposite of the objective. The policy currently uses 'Allow', which is correct for granting access. Changing this to 'Deny' would prevent the user from accessing the bucket entirely, failing to resolve the connectivity issue mentioned in the scenario.
- ✓
The user in the target account lacks IAM permissions.
Why this is correct
In cross-account access, both the bucket policy and the user's local IAM policy must explicitly permit the action. The bucket policy allows access from the account, but the individual user identity still requires an IAM policy that authorizes the s3:GetObject action to complete the authorization request successfully.
- ✗
The bucket policy must include 'Principal': '*'.
Why it's wrong here
Setting the principal to '*' makes the bucket public, which is a major security violation and should never be done for secure data. The current policy correctly restricts access to a specific AWS account, which is the secure and intended way to handle cross-account access in AWS.
- ✗
The resource ARN is incorrectly formatted.
Why it's wrong here
The ARN provided, 'arn:aws:s3:::my-secure-bucket/*', is the standard format for granting access to objects within an S3 bucket. There is no evidence of a syntax error here. The problem is almost certainly an identity-side IAM permissions issue, as bucket policies and IAM policies work together for authorization.
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 |
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
This SAA-C03 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 SAA-C03 exam.