- A
Use AWS CloudTrail to monitor for public bucket creation and alert the security team.
Why wrong: This is only detective, not preventive.
- B
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies s3:PutBucketPolicy for any bucket that allows public access.
Why wrong: This prevents new public policies but does not block existing public access; also bucket policies can still allow public access if not explicitly denied.
- C
Use AWS Config rules to detect public buckets and auto-remediate with a Lambda function.
Why wrong: This is reactive and may not prevent public access in time; also does not enforce across all accounts automatically.
- D
Create an SCP that denies s3:PutAccountPublicAccessBlock and s3:DeleteAccountPublicAccessBlock, and enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level via a custom resource in each account.
This enforces that account-level block public access settings cannot be changed, effectively blocking all public access.
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 global company uses AWS Organizations with hundreds of accounts. The security team requires that all S3 buckets across the organization block public access. They want to enforce this policy without modifying existing bucket policies. Which solution should they use?
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 an SCP that denies s3:PutAccountPublicAccessBlock and s3:DeleteAccountPublicAccessBlock, and enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level via a custom resource in each account.
Option D is correct because S3 Block Public Access settings at the account level override bucket-level policies and can be enforced organization-wide via a service control policy (SCP) that denies the ability to disable or delete those settings. By using a custom resource (e.g., AWS CloudFormation) to enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level in each account, and an SCP to prevent any account from modifying those settings, the security team ensures all buckets in the organization block public access without needing to modify existing bucket 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.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to monitor for public bucket creation and alert the security team.
Why it's wrong here
This is only detective, not preventive.
- ✗
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies s3:PutBucketPolicy for any bucket that allows public access.
Why it's wrong here
This prevents new public policies but does not block existing public access; also bucket policies can still allow public access if not explicitly denied.
- ✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect public buckets and auto-remediate with a Lambda function.
Why it's wrong here
This is reactive and may not prevent public access in time; also does not enforce across all accounts automatically.
- ✓
Create an SCP that denies s3:PutAccountPublicAccessBlock and s3:DeleteAccountPublicAccessBlock, and enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level via a custom resource in each account.
Why this is correct
This enforces that account-level block public access settings cannot be changed, effectively blocking all public access.
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 reactive detection (AWS Config) or partial policy restrictions (denying s3:PutBucketPolicy) with the comprehensive, preventive account-level block that SCPs can enforce, missing that S3 Block Public Access at the account level is the only way to block all public access without touching existing bucket policies.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
S3 Block Public Access at the account level applies four settings (BlockPublicAcls, IgnorePublicAcls, BlockPublicPolicy, RestrictPublicBuckets) that override bucket-level permissions, including ACLs and policies. An SCP that denies s3:PutAccountPublicAccessBlock and s3:DeleteAccountPublicAccessBlock ensures that no account can disable these settings, creating a preventive control. This approach leverages AWS Organizations' ability to apply SCPs to all accounts, making it a scalable solution for hundreds of accounts without modifying individual bucket policies.
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.
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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 an SCP that denies s3:PutAccountPublicAccessBlock and s3:DeleteAccountPublicAccessBlock, and enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level via a custom resource in each account. — Option D is correct because S3 Block Public Access settings at the account level override bucket-level policies and can be enforced organization-wide via a service control policy (SCP) that denies the ability to disable or delete those settings. By using a custom resource (e.g., AWS CloudFormation) to enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level in each account, and an SCP to prevent any account from modifying those settings, the security team ensures all buckets in the organization block public access without needing to modify existing bucket 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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