The answer is to apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances when the instance has a public IP and does not include the required security group. This is correct because SCPs operate at the AWS Organizations level to set maximum permission boundaries, allowing you to proactively enforce security group compliance before an EC2 instance is launched, using the ec2:AssociatePublicIpAddress condition key to detect public IP assignment and the ec2:SecurityGroup condition key to verify the required group. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of preventive versus detective controls—a common trap is choosing AWS Config or Lambda for remediation, which only reacts after launch, whereas SCPs block the action entirely. Remember the mnemonic “SCP stops before start” to distinguish it from post-launch detection tools.
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 manages multiple AWS accounts using AWS Organizations. They want to enforce that any EC2 instance launched with a public IP address must have a specific security group attached. What is the MOST effective way to enforce this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances when the instance has a public IP and does not include the required security group.
Service control policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations allow you to centrally control the maximum available permissions for all accounts in the organization. By crafting an SCP with a condition that denies ec2:RunInstances when the instance has a public IP (using ec2:AssociatePublicIpAddress) and does not include the required security group (using ec2:SecurityGroup), you can proactively prevent non-compliant instances from being launched at the API level, rather than detecting and remediating after the fact.
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 an IAM policy that requires the security group when launching instances with a public IP.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies are not centralized across accounts.
✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect non-compliant instances and automatically terminate them.
Why it's wrong here
Reactive, instances may be exposed temporarily.
✗
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy a template that only allows instances with the required security group.
Why it's wrong here
Does not prevent direct EC2 console launches.
✓
Apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances when the instance has a public IP and does not include the required security group.
Why this is correct
Prevents non-compliant launches.
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 choose AWS Config (Option B) because it is a well-known compliance tool, but they overlook that Config is reactive (detect and remediate) rather than proactive (prevent at the API call), which is the key distinction for 'enforce' in this question.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The SCP uses the ec2:AssociatePublicIpAddress condition key, which evaluates to true when the instance is launched in a subnet that auto-assigns a public IP or when the user explicitly requests one via the API parameter. The denial condition must be structured as a 'Deny' effect with a 'Null' check on the security group ID to ensure the required group is present; if the group is missing, the request is blocked at the AWS Organizations level, overriding any IAM permissions. This approach leverages the fact that SCPs are evaluated before IAM policies, making them the most effective guardrail for multi-account environments.
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 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
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: Apply a service control policy (SCP) that denies ec2:RunInstances when the instance has a public IP and does not include the required security group. — Service control policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations allow you to centrally control the maximum available permissions for all accounts in the organization. By crafting an SCP with a condition that denies ec2:RunInstances when the instance has a public IP (using ec2:AssociatePublicIpAddress) and does not include the required security group (using ec2:SecurityGroup), you can proactively prevent non-compliant instances from being launched at the API level, rather than detecting and remediating after the fact.
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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