- A
Remove public access from the bucket and update the bucket policy to allow GetObject only from CloudFront using the distribution’s SourceArn (and use CloudFront origin access control or origin access identity).
Restricting the bucket policy to CloudFront’s principal with a SourceArn condition prevents direct S3 access while enabling CloudFront.
- B
Enable S3 static website hosting and disable CloudFront, because website hosting blocks direct object URL access.
Why wrong: S3 website hosting often requires specific configuration and does not inherently provide origin-only access controls for security.
- C
Add a WAF rule that rate-limits requests to the S3 bucket domain to make direct access impractical.
Why wrong: WAF typically applies at CloudFront/web front ends; rate limiting does not provide guaranteed access restriction at the bucket.
- D
Turn on S3 object versioning so that attackers cannot read previous objects.
Why wrong: Versioning affects recovery and deletion semantics, not whether objects are publicly readable via S3.
SAA-C03 Design Secure Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design secure architectures. 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 static website uses an Amazon S3 bucket as the origin for an Amazon CloudFront distribution. The team accidentally configured the S3 bucket policy to allow s3:GetObject to Principal "*", so objects are accessible via direct S3 URLs. They want to ensure objects are retrievable only through CloudFront. What is the best corrective action?
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
Remove public access from the bucket and update the bucket policy to allow GetObject only from CloudFront using the distribution’s SourceArn (and use CloudFront origin access control or origin access identity).
Option A is correct because the S3 bucket policy currently allows s3:GetObject from any principal, making objects publicly accessible via direct S3 URLs. By removing public access and updating the policy to restrict GetObject to only requests that originate from the CloudFront distribution (using either Origin Access Control or Origin Access Identity), objects become retrievable exclusively through CloudFront, preventing direct S3 access.
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.
- ✓
Remove public access from the bucket and update the bucket policy to allow GetObject only from CloudFront using the distribution’s SourceArn (and use CloudFront origin access control or origin access identity).
Why this is correct
Restricting the bucket policy to CloudFront’s principal with a SourceArn condition prevents direct S3 access while enabling CloudFront.
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 and disable CloudFront, because website hosting blocks direct object URL access.
Why it's wrong here
S3 website hosting often requires specific configuration and does not inherently provide origin-only access controls for security.
- ✗
Add a WAF rule that rate-limits requests to the S3 bucket domain to make direct access impractical.
Why it's wrong here
WAF typically applies at CloudFront/web front ends; rate limiting does not provide guaranteed access restriction at the bucket.
- ✗
Turn on S3 object versioning so that attackers cannot read previous objects.
Why it's wrong here
Versioning affects recovery and deletion semantics, not whether objects are publicly readable via S3.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think enabling S3 static website hosting or versioning solves the access control issue, but neither changes the bucket policy—only explicitly restricting the policy to CloudFront’s identity prevents direct S3 URL access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudFront Origin Access Control (OAC) uses AWS Signature Version 4 to sign requests from CloudFront to S3, ensuring only CloudFront can retrieve objects. The bucket policy must include a condition like `aws:SourceArn` matching the CloudFront distribution ARN to enforce this. In contrast, an Origin Access Identity (OAI) uses a special S3 user principal, but OAC is the modern, recommended approach as it supports more granular conditions and cross-region origins.
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 Secure Architectures — This question tests Design Secure Architectures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Remove public access from the bucket and update the bucket policy to allow GetObject only from CloudFront using the distribution’s SourceArn (and use CloudFront origin access control or origin access identity). — Option A is correct because the S3 bucket policy currently allows s3:GetObject from any principal, making objects publicly accessible via direct S3 URLs. By removing public access and updating the policy to restrict GetObject to only requests that originate from the CloudFront distribution (using either Origin Access Control or Origin Access Identity), objects become retrievable exclusively through CloudFront, preventing direct S3 access.
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
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.
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