- A
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies s3:PutBucket* actions unless encryption is specified.
SCPs can deny actions that do not meet conditions, such as requiring encryption.
- B
Set the default encryption on each bucket to disable encryption.
Why wrong: Disabling encryption does not enforce encryption; it removes encryption.
- C
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log all S3 API calls and trigger a Lambda function to remediate.
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs but does not prevent non-compliant actions.
- D
Create an IAM policy with a global condition for SSE and attach it to all users and roles.
Why wrong: IAM policies apply to users/roles, not to all resources across accounts; also, they can be overridden.
- E
Use AWS Config rules to detect S3 buckets without encryption and automatically remediate.
AWS Config can detect non-compliant buckets and trigger remediation via Systems Manager Automation or Lambda.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to use a service control policy (SCP) to deny S3 bucket operations that lack encryption and an AWS Config rule to detect and automatically remediate noncompliant buckets. The SCP acts as a preventive guardrail at the organization level by using the `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption` condition key to block any `s3:PutBucket*` action that does not specify SSE, ensuring no bucket can be created or modified without encryption across all accounts. Meanwhile, Config provides detective and automated remediation for existing buckets that may have been created before the policy was applied. On the SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of combining preventive controls (SCPs) with detective and corrective controls (Config rules) to enforce encryption at scale, a common pattern for multi-account governance. A frequent trap is choosing only one control type; remember that SCPs cannot fix existing resources, so Config remediation is essential for full coverage. Memory tip: SCPs prevent the bad, Config fixes the past.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 designing a multi-account architecture using AWS Organizations. The company wants to enforce that all Amazon S3 buckets across all accounts must have server-side encryption (SSE) enabled. Which TWO actions should be taken to enforce this requirement?
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 s3:PutBucket* actions unless encryption is specified.
Option A is correct because a service control policy (SCP) can be applied at the AWS Organizations root, OU, or account level to deny S3 bucket operations that do not include encryption. By using a condition key like `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption` in the SCP, you can enforce that any `s3:PutBucket*` action must specify encryption, preventing the creation or modification of buckets without SSE. This provides a preventive, centralized control that cannot be overridden by account administrators.
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 a service control policy (SCP) that denies s3:PutBucket* actions unless encryption is specified.
Why this is correct
SCPs can deny actions that do not meet conditions, such as requiring encryption.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Set the default encryption on each bucket to disable encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling encryption does not enforce encryption; it removes encryption.
- ✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log all S3 API calls and trigger a Lambda function to remediate.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs but does not prevent non-compliant actions.
- ✗
Create an IAM policy with a global condition for SSE and attach it to all users and roles.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies apply to users/roles, not to all resources across accounts; also, they can be overridden.
- ✓
Use AWS Config rules to detect S3 buckets without encryption and automatically remediate.
Why this is correct
AWS Config can detect non-compliant buckets and trigger remediation via Systems Manager Automation or Lambda.
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 detective controls (like AWS Config rules with auto-remediation) with preventive controls (like SCPs), but the question specifically asks to 'enforce' the requirement, which demands a preventive approach that blocks non-compliant actions before they occur.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policy language but are not identity-based; they set permission boundaries for all principals in the account. The condition key `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption` can be used with values like `AES256` or `aws:kms` to require specific encryption types. Note that SCPs do not affect the root user in a management account, but for member accounts, they provide a hard block that prevents any API call that violates the policy, even if an IAM policy allows it.
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 s3:PutBucket* actions unless encryption is specified. — Option A is correct because a service control policy (SCP) can be applied at the AWS Organizations root, OU, or account level to deny S3 bucket operations that do not include encryption. By using a condition key like `s3:x-amz-server-side-encryption` in the SCP, you can enforce that any `s3:PutBucket*` action must specify encryption, preventing the creation or modification of buckets without SSE. This provides a preventive, centralized control that cannot be overridden by account administrators.
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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