The correct answer is to use service control policies with aws:SourceIp and aws:SourceVpc conditions. This combination works because SCPs operate at the organization level, allowing you to define a centralized data perimeter enforcement across accounts that overrides any permissive IAM policies within individual accounts. By applying conditions on the `aws:SourceIp` and `aws:SourceVpc` keys, you restrict all API calls to originate only from approved networks, such as a corporate IP range or a specific VPC, effectively blocking unauthorized access from outside those boundaries. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how SCPs differ from IAM policies—specifically that SCPs are deny-by-default guardrails that cannot be overridden by account administrators. A common trap is assuming that IAM resource-based policies alone can enforce this perimeter, but they lack the organization-wide scope needed for data perimeter enforcement across accounts. Memory tip: think of SCPs as the "bouncer at the door" checking your network ID (SourceIp) and your ride (SourceVpc) before you even enter the building.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. 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 company uses AWS Organizations and wants to implement a data perimeter across all accounts to ensure that data can only be accessed from approved networks. Which combination of controls should be used to enforce this perimeter?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use service control policies with aws:SourceIp and aws:SourceVpc conditions.
Service control policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations can enforce a data perimeter by restricting access based on network origin using the `aws:SourceIp` and `aws:SourceVpc` condition keys. This approach works across all accounts in the organization, ensuring that only requests from approved networks (e.g., specific IP ranges or VPCs) are allowed, regardless of individual account configurations.
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.
✗
Use S3 bucket policies with aws:SourceIp condition.
Why it's wrong here
This only applies to S3, not all services.
✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect and alert on non-compliant access.
Why it's wrong here
Config rules only detect, not enforce.
✗
Use network ACLs in each VPC.
Why it's wrong here
NACLs are stateless and not centrally managed.
✓
Use service control policies with aws:SourceIp and aws:SourceVpc conditions.
Why this is correct
SCPs can deny access from unapproved networks across all services.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse resource-level policies (like S3 bucket policies) with organization-wide controls (SCPs), or they mistake detective controls (AWS Config) for preventive controls, leading them to choose options that only partially address the requirement or are reactive rather than proactive.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs with `aws:SourceIp` and `aws:SourceVpc` conditions leverage the AWS global condition keys to evaluate the network origin of every API call. The `aws:SourceVpc` key checks the VPC ID from which the request originates, which is particularly useful for enforcing that traffic must come from a specific VPC (e.g., via VPC endpoints or VPN). A subtle behavior is that `aws:SourceIp` does not work for requests made through AWS services like CloudFront or S3 Transfer Acceleration, as the source IP is masked; in such cases, `aws:SourceVpc` or `aws:SourceOwner` must be used instead.
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.
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: Use service control policies with aws:SourceIp and aws:SourceVpc conditions. — Service control policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations can enforce a data perimeter by restricting access based on network origin using the `aws:SourceIp` and `aws:SourceVpc` condition keys. This approach works across all accounts in the organization, ensuring that only requests from approved networks (e.g., specific IP ranges or VPCs) are allowed, regardless of individual account configurations.
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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Question Discussion
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