SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
A company has a management account in AWS Organizations and several member accounts. The security team wants to ensure that any IAM user created in any member account must have a password policy that enforces a minimum length of 14 characters. The team wants a preventive control that is enforced automatically. Which approach should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently choose a detective/reactive solution (like AWS Config with auto-remediation) because it seems automated, but the question explicitly asks for a preventive control that is enforced automatically, which requires blocking the ability to change the policy (SCP) and proactively applying the correct policy (StackSets).
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 an SCP to deny the iam:UpdateAccountPasswordPolicy action and deploy a password policy using CloudFormation StackSets.
An SCP can deny the iam:UpdateAccountPasswordPolicy action, preventing member accounts from altering the password policy, while CloudFormation StackSets can deploy a compliant password policy across all member accounts automatically. This combination provides a preventive control that enforces the minimum 14-character requirement without relying on user action or reactive detection.
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 Service Catalog to provide a password policy product and require account owners to launch it.
Why it's wrong here
Not automatic.
- ✓
Use an SCP to deny the iam:UpdateAccountPasswordPolicy action and deploy a password policy using CloudFormation StackSets.
Why this is correct
Correct: Prevents changes and enforces policy.
- ✗
Use an SCP to deny the iam:CreateUser action unless the request includes a condition that the password policy meets the requirement.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs cannot check password policy content.
- ✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect accounts without the required password policy and auto-remediate with a Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
Reactive, not preventive.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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