- A
Use AWS Service Catalog to enforce S3 bucket encryption and public access settings.
Why wrong: Service Catalog enforces product configurations only for provisioned products, not existing buckets.
- B
Define a tag policy that requires encryption and public access tags on all S3 buckets.
Why wrong: Tag policies do not enforce security configurations.
- C
Create an SCP to deny PutBucketAcl, PutBucketPolicy, and PutBucketPublicAccessBlock actions that do not meet the requirements.
SCPs can centrally deny actions across all accounts.
- D
Use IAM policies in the management account to restrict S3 permissions for all users.
Why wrong: IAM policies are per-account and cannot centrally enforce requirements across all accounts.
- E
Enable AWS Config and create rules to detect and automatically remediate non-compliant S3 buckets.
AWS Config rules can centrally monitor and remediate across accounts.
Quick Answer
The correct actions are to use Service Control Policies (SCPs) to deny non-compliant S3 operations and to enable AWS Config with rules for detection and automatic remediation. SCPs provide centralized governance by blocking any PutBucketEncryption or PutBucketPublicAccessBlock requests that don’t meet the required standards, effectively enforcing encryption and blocking public access across all accounts in an AWS Organization. AWS Config then continuously monitors for existing non-compliant buckets and can trigger auto-remediation via Lambda or Systems Manager. On the SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the difference between preventive controls (SCPs) and detective/reactive controls (Config rules); a common trap is choosing IAM policies, which are account-specific and cannot enforce centrally. Remember the mnemonic “SCP to Stop, Config to Correct” to recall that SCPs prevent violations at the API level while Config fixes what’s already there.
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 is using AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team requires that all S3 buckets across all accounts must have server-side encryption enabled and block public access. Which TWO actions should be taken to enforce these requirements centrally?
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 to deny PutBucketAcl, PutBucketPolicy, and PutBucketPublicAccessBlock actions that do not meet the requirements.
Option A is correct because SCPs can deny actions that do not meet encryption or public access requirements. Option D is correct because AWS Config rules can be used to detect and remediate non-compliant buckets. Option B is wrong because IAM permissions are per-account and not centrally enforced. Option C is wrong because tagging does not enforce security requirements. Option E is wrong because it does not enforce across all accounts; it only sets defaults for new buckets.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 Service Catalog to enforce S3 bucket encryption and public access settings.
Why it's wrong here
Service Catalog enforces product configurations only for provisioned products, not existing buckets.
- ✗
Define a tag policy that requires encryption and public access tags on all S3 buckets.
Why it's wrong here
Tag policies do not enforce security configurations.
- ✓
Create an SCP to deny PutBucketAcl, PutBucketPolicy, and PutBucketPublicAccessBlock actions that do not meet the requirements.
Why this is correct
SCPs can centrally deny actions across all accounts.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✗
Use IAM policies in the management account to restrict S3 permissions for all users.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies are per-account and cannot centrally enforce requirements across all accounts.
- ✓
Enable AWS Config and create rules to detect and automatically remediate non-compliant S3 buckets.
Why this is correct
AWS Config rules can centrally monitor and remediate across accounts.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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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 — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an SCP to deny PutBucketAcl, PutBucketPolicy, and PutBucketPublicAccessBlock actions that do not meet the requirements. — Option A is correct because SCPs can deny actions that do not meet encryption or public access requirements. Option D is correct because AWS Config rules can be used to detect and remediate non-compliant buckets. Option B is wrong because IAM permissions are per-account and not centrally enforced. Option C is wrong because tagging does not enforce security requirements. Option E is wrong because it does not enforce across all accounts; it only sets defaults for new buckets.
What should I do if I get this SAP-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SAP-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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