- A
Keep the bucket public and rely on signed cookies for all thumbnail requests.
Why wrong: Making the bucket public increases exposure and signed cookies are not an origin access control mechanism.
- B
Use CloudFront Origin Access Control (OAC) or Origin Access Identity (OAI) and update the bucket policy to allow only CloudFront.
OAC/OAI ensures only CloudFront can access the bucket while keeping the bucket private.
- C
Enable S3 static website hosting so users access thumbnails directly from the S3 website endpoint.
Why wrong: S3 website endpoints are intended for public access patterns and bypass the security goal.
- D
Set S3 bucket permissions to allow all IAM users and block access only by using a WAF rule at CloudFront.
Why wrong: IAM-wide access contradicts least privilege, and WAF does not secure direct S3 access paths.
SAA-C03 Design High-Performing Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design high-performing architectures. 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 media company uses CloudFront in front of an S3 bucket origin for video thumbnails. They want to prevent users from bypassing CloudFront and accessing the S3 bucket directly, while still allowing CloudFront to fetch objects. What is the best option?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Use CloudFront Origin Access Control (OAC) or Origin Access Identity (OAI) and update the bucket policy to allow only CloudFront.
CloudFront Origin Access Control (OAC) or Origin Access Identity (OAI) allows you to restrict direct access to an S3 bucket by configuring the bucket policy to grant read permissions only to the CloudFront distribution's service principal. This ensures that users can only retrieve thumbnails through CloudFront, leveraging its caching and security features, while blocking any direct S3 requests.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Keep the bucket public and rely on signed cookies for all thumbnail requests.
Why it's wrong here
Making the bucket public increases exposure and signed cookies are not an origin access control mechanism.
- ✓
Use CloudFront Origin Access Control (OAC) or Origin Access Identity (OAI) and update the bucket policy to allow only CloudFront.
Why this is correct
OAC/OAI ensures only CloudFront can access the bucket while keeping the bucket private.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable S3 static website hosting so users access thumbnails directly from the S3 website endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
S3 website endpoints are intended for public access patterns and bypass the security goal.
- ✗
Set S3 bucket permissions to allow all IAM users and block access only by using a WAF rule at CloudFront.
Why it's wrong here
IAM-wide access contradicts least privilege, and WAF does not secure direct S3 access paths.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think signed cookies or URLs alone are sufficient to secure direct S3 access, but they forget that those mechanisms only control access through CloudFront and do not restrict the S3 bucket's public endpoint unless the bucket policy explicitly denies direct access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, OAC (the newer replacement for OAI) uses the s3:GetObject permission with a condition that the request must come from the CloudFront distribution's service principal (e.g., 'Principal': { 'Service': 'cloudfront.amazonaws.com' }). This leverages AWS Signature Version 4 (SigV4) for authentication, ensuring that only CloudFront can fetch objects, even if the bucket policy is otherwise private. In real-world scenarios, this prevents data exfiltration or hotlinking by ensuring all traffic goes through CloudFront's edge locations, where you can apply geo-restrictions, AWS WAF, or logging.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Design High-Performing Architectures — This question tests Design High-Performing Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use CloudFront Origin Access Control (OAC) or Origin Access Identity (OAI) and update the bucket policy to allow only CloudFront. — CloudFront Origin Access Control (OAC) or Origin Access Identity (OAI) allows you to restrict direct access to an S3 bucket by configuring the bucket policy to grant read permissions only to the CloudFront distribution's service principal. This ensures that users can only retrieve thumbnails through CloudFront, leveraging its caching and security features, while blocking any direct S3 requests.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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