- A
Add a bucket policy Allow for s3:GetObject only when the principal is cloudfront.amazonaws.com and aws:SourceArn matches your CloudFront distribution ARN, while blocking public access.
CloudFront OAC requests are authorized via a CloudFront principal plus a SourceArn restriction. Coupled with public access blocking, this prevents direct S3 URL reads.
- B
Enable an S3 bucket lifecycle policy to transition objects to Glacier, so public S3 URLs become inaccessible.
Why wrong: Lifecycle transitions do not prevent public access. Users could still access objects while they exist in a readable storage class.
- C
Rely only on CloudFront signed URLs validation; do not change the S3 bucket policy.
Why wrong: Signed URLs control CloudFront access but do not restrict direct S3 access. If the bucket allows it, S3 URLs will still work.
- D
Add a WAF rule on CloudFront to block requests that contain "amazonaws.com" in the URL path.
Why wrong: WAF rules apply at CloudFront, not S3. Direct S3 requests would bypass CloudFront, so WAF cannot protect the bucket.
SAA-C03 Design Secure Architectures Practice Question
This SAA-C03 practice question tests your understanding of design secure 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.
You serve private reports stored in an S3 bucket through CloudFront. After a recent change, users report that they can access the S3 object URLs directly (bypassing CloudFront), which violates your design. You want to ensure S3 objects are readable only through CloudFront using Origin Access Control (OAC), even if someone guesses the S3 URL. Which update best enforces this at the S3 bucket level?
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
Add a bucket policy Allow for s3:GetObject only when the principal is cloudfront.amazonaws.com and aws:SourceArn matches your CloudFront distribution ARN, while blocking public access.
Option A is correct because it uses an S3 bucket policy that grants s3:GetObject access only when the principal is cloudfront.amazonaws.com and the aws:SourceArn matches the CloudFront distribution ARN. This ensures that only CloudFront, using Origin Access Control (OAC), can retrieve objects, blocking direct S3 URL access even if the URL is guessed. Blocking public access at the bucket level further prevents any anonymous or public reads.
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.
- ✓
Add a bucket policy Allow for s3:GetObject only when the principal is cloudfront.amazonaws.com and aws:SourceArn matches your CloudFront distribution ARN, while blocking public access.
Why this is correct
CloudFront OAC requests are authorized via a CloudFront principal plus a SourceArn restriction. Coupled with public access blocking, this prevents direct S3 URL reads.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable an S3 bucket lifecycle policy to transition objects to Glacier, so public S3 URLs become inaccessible.
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle transitions do not prevent public access. Users could still access objects while they exist in a readable storage class.
- ✗
Rely only on CloudFront signed URLs validation; do not change the S3 bucket policy.
Why it's wrong here
Signed URLs control CloudFront access but do not restrict direct S3 access. If the bucket allows it, S3 URLs will still work.
- ✗
Add a WAF rule on CloudFront to block requests that contain "amazonaws.com" in the URL path.
Why it's wrong here
WAF rules apply at CloudFront, not S3. Direct S3 requests would bypass CloudFront, so WAF cannot protect the bucket.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think CloudFront signed URLs alone are sufficient for security, but without a restrictive bucket policy, the S3 bucket remains publicly accessible, allowing direct URL access to bypass CloudFront.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Origin Access Control (OAC) replaces the older Origin Access Identity (OAI) and uses a bucket policy with the aws:SourceArn condition to restrict access to a specific CloudFront distribution. The aws:SourceArn condition is evaluated against the distribution's ARN, preventing other AWS accounts or services from using the same principal. This policy works even if the S3 bucket is configured to block all public access, as the CloudFront service principal is an AWS service, not a public entity.
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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: Add a bucket policy Allow for s3:GetObject only when the principal is cloudfront.amazonaws.com and aws:SourceArn matches your CloudFront distribution ARN, while blocking public access. — Option A is correct because it uses an S3 bucket policy that grants s3:GetObject access only when the principal is cloudfront.amazonaws.com and the aws:SourceArn matches the CloudFront distribution ARN. This ensures that only CloudFront, using Origin Access Control (OAC), can retrieve objects, blocking direct S3 URL access even if the URL is guessed. Blocking public access at the bucket level further prevents any anonymous or public reads.
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.
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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