Quick Answer
The correct answer is a Deny effect with ec2:* and rds:* as the actions. This configuration works because AWS SCPs operate on an explicit deny model: they do not grant permissions but instead act as a filter on top of IAM policies, so a Deny statement for specific services overrides any Allow for those services while leaving all other services unaffected by default. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this tests your understanding of how SCPs enforce service boundaries within AWS Organizations—a common trap is choosing an Allow statement with a NotAction, which would inadvertently block all services except EC2 and RDS, rather than blocking only those two. Remember the key principle: SCPs are deny-first, not allow-first. A useful memory tip is “Deny to deny, Allow to allow nothing”—meaning you use Deny to block specific services, and Allow in an SCP only narrows what’s permitted, never expands it.
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 is using AWS Organizations and wants to allow only specific AWS services to be used in member accounts. The security team needs to block the use of Amazon EC2 and Amazon RDS, but allow all other services. Which SCP configuration should be used?
Deny effect with "*" as the action.
Why wrong: This would block all services.
Deny effect with NotAction set to ec2:* and rds:*.
Why wrong: This would deny all actions except EC2 and RDS.
Allow effect with ec2:* and rds:* as the actions.
Why wrong: SCPs are not grant-based; Allow SCPs are ineffective if there is a Deny elsewhere.
Deny effect with ec2:* and rds:* as the actions.
This denies all EC2 and RDS operations.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Deny effect with ec2:* and rds:* as the actions.
Option D is correct because AWS SCPs use an explicit deny to block specific services. By applying a Deny effect with ec2:* and rds:* as the actions, the SCP will block all operations for Amazon EC2 and Amazon RDS in the member accounts, while allowing all other services by default (since SCPs do not grant permissions; they only filter what is allowed by IAM policies).
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Deny effect with "*" as the action.
Why it's wrong here
This would block all services.
Deny effect with NotAction set to ec2:* and rds:*.
Why it's wrong here
This would deny all actions except EC2 and RDS.
Allow effect with ec2:* and rds:* as the actions.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs are not grant-based; Allow SCPs are ineffective if there is a Deny elsewhere.
Deny effect with ec2:* and rds:* as the actions.
Why this is correct
This denies all EC2 and RDS operations.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse NotAction with a targeted deny, mistakenly thinking it blocks only the specified services, when in fact NotAction denies everything except those services.
Detailed technical explanation
SCPs are evaluated using a deny-by-default model where any action not explicitly allowed by an SCP is implicitly denied, but SCPs cannot grant permissions—they only restrict what is allowed by IAM policies. The Deny effect with specific service actions (e.g., ec2:*) creates an explicit deny that overrides any Allow from IAM policies or other SCPs, ensuring the services are blocked regardless of other permissions. In a real-world scenario, this is often used to enforce compliance by preventing the use of cost-intensive or unapproved services across all accounts in an organization.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Deny effect with ec2:* and rds:* as the actions. — Option D is correct because AWS SCPs use an explicit deny to block specific services. By applying a Deny effect with ec2:* and rds:* as the actions, the SCP will block all operations for Amazon EC2 and Amazon RDS in the member accounts, while allowing all other services by default (since SCPs do not grant permissions; they only filter what is allowed by IAM policies).
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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