- A
Create an IAM role with a policy that requires encryption on S3 buckets and attach it to all users.
Why wrong: IAM roles affect user permissions, not the actual bucket creation policy that could bypass encryption.
- B
Configure S3 bucket policies on each existing bucket to deny requests that do not include encryption.
Why wrong: Bucket policies only apply to existing buckets and are not a preventive control for new buckets.
- C
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies the s3:CreateBucket action unless the request includes s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption header.
SCPs can enforce conditions on API actions across all accounts in the organization.
- D
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log all S3 API calls and set up a CloudWatch alarm to notify when a bucket without encryption is created.
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs events but does not prevent creation of unencrypted buckets.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. 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 company has multiple AWS accounts managed via AWS Organizations. The security team needs to enforce that all newly created S3 buckets in any account have server-side encryption (SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS) enabled. Which solution should the team implement?
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
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies the s3:CreateBucket action unless the request includes s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption header.
Option C is correct because a service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations can centrally deny the s3:CreateBucket action unless the request includes the s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption header. This enforces encryption on all newly created S3 buckets across all accounts in the organization, regardless of individual account permissions, and does not require modifying existing buckets or user policies.
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.
- ✗
Create an IAM role with a policy that requires encryption on S3 buckets and attach it to all users.
Why it's wrong here
IAM roles affect user permissions, not the actual bucket creation policy that could bypass encryption.
- ✗
Configure S3 bucket policies on each existing bucket to deny requests that do not include encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Bucket policies only apply to existing buckets and are not a preventive control for new buckets.
- ✓
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies the s3:CreateBucket action unless the request includes s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption header.
Why this is correct
SCPs can enforce conditions on API actions across all accounts in the organization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log all S3 API calls and set up a CloudWatch alarm to notify when a bucket without encryption is created.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs events but does not prevent creation of unencrypted buckets.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse detective controls (like CloudTrail and CloudWatch alarms) with preventive controls (like SCPs), or mistakenly think IAM policies can enforce request headers on API actions, when only SCPs can centrally enforce such conditions across multiple accounts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs are evaluated before IAM policies and can deny API actions based on request parameters using condition keys like s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption. The SCP must use a Deny effect with a condition that checks for the absence of the encryption header (e.g., 'Null': {'s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption': 'true'}) to block unencrypted bucket creation. This approach works across all accounts in the organization without requiring per-account configuration, making it ideal for centralized security governance.
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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Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies the s3:CreateBucket action unless the request includes s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption header. — Option C is correct because a service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations can centrally deny the s3:CreateBucket action unless the request includes the s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption header. This enforces encryption on all newly created S3 buckets across all accounts in the organization, regardless of individual account permissions, and does not require modifying existing buckets or user policies.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 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 24, 2026
This SAP-C02 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 SAP-C02 exam.
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