- A
Attach an S3 bucket policy that denies access unless the aws:SourceVpce condition matches the approved VPC endpoint IDs.
Correct: Restricts access to specific endpoints.
- B
Enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level.
Why wrong: Does not enforce encryption or VPC restriction.
- C
Configure AWS Network Firewall in the central security account to inspect traffic to the S3 endpoints and allow only encrypted traffic.
Correct: Enforces encryption and inspection.
- D
Use AWS Certificate Manager to issue certificates for S3 bucket access.
Why wrong: S3 uses TLS; certificates are not managed by ACM for S3.
- E
Attach an S3 bucket policy that denies access unless the aws:SourceVpc condition matches the approved VPC IDs.
Why wrong: Allows any endpoint in those VPCs, not just approved ones.
Quick Answer
The answer is to use the `aws:SourceVpce` condition key in the S3 bucket policy combined with AWS Network Firewall to enforce encrypted traffic. This works because the `aws:SourceVpce` condition restricts access to requests originating from specific VPC endpoints, ensuring that only approved VPCs can reach the S3 data lake. Meanwhile, AWS Network Firewall in the central security account can inspect traffic to the S3 endpoints and deny any unencrypted requests, satisfying the mandate for encryption in transit. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to layer network and resource-based policies for S3 security, often appearing as a multi-select question where you must choose two complementary controls. A common trap is to rely solely on a bucket policy without considering encryption enforcement, or to use a VPC endpoint policy instead of the bucket-level condition. Memory tip: think “SourceVpce for origin, Firewall for encryption” to pair the two controls correctly.
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 has a data lake on Amazon S3 that is accessed by multiple business units via VPC endpoints. The security policy mandates that all access to the data lake must be encrypted in transit and originate from approved VPCs. The company has a central security account that manages AWS Network Firewall. Which combination of controls should be implemented to enforce this policy? (Choose TWO.)
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
Attach an S3 bucket policy that denies access unless the aws:SourceVpce condition matches the approved VPC endpoint IDs.
Option A is correct because the `aws:SourceVpce` condition key in an S3 bucket policy allows you to restrict access to traffic originating from specific VPC endpoints (interface or gateway endpoints). This ensures that only requests coming through approved VPC endpoints can access the data lake, directly enforcing the mandate that access must originate from approved VPCs.
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.
- ✓
Attach an S3 bucket policy that denies access unless the aws:SourceVpce condition matches the approved VPC endpoint IDs.
Why this is correct
Correct: Restricts access to specific endpoints.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level.
Why it's wrong here
Does not enforce encryption or VPC restriction.
- ✓
Configure AWS Network Firewall in the central security account to inspect traffic to the S3 endpoints and allow only encrypted traffic.
Why this is correct
Correct: Enforces encryption and inspection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS Certificate Manager to issue certificates for S3 bucket access.
Why it's wrong here
S3 uses TLS; certificates are not managed by ACM for S3.
- ✗
Attach an S3 bucket policy that denies access unless the aws:SourceVpc condition matches the approved VPC IDs.
Why it's wrong here
Allows any endpoint in those VPCs, not just approved ones.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `aws:SourceVpc` with `aws:SourceVpce`, not realizing that `aws:SourceVpc` does not work when traffic goes through a VPC endpoint, and they may overlook the need for a separate encryption-in-transit control like Network Firewall because S3 supports HTTPS by default but does not enforce it without a bucket policy or inspection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `aws:SourceVpce` condition key works by matching the VPC endpoint ID from which the request originates, which is available in the request context when using S3 gateway endpoints or interface endpoints. AWS Network Firewall can inspect traffic to S3 endpoints by using stateful rule groups to enforce that only TLS-encrypted traffic (port 443) is allowed, thereby meeting the encryption-in-transit requirement. In practice, combining these controls ensures that even if an attacker gains access to an approved VPC, they cannot bypass the encryption requirement or use an unapproved endpoint.
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: Attach an S3 bucket policy that denies access unless the aws:SourceVpce condition matches the approved VPC endpoint IDs. — Option A is correct because the `aws:SourceVpce` condition key in an S3 bucket policy allows you to restrict access to traffic originating from specific VPC endpoints (interface or gateway endpoints). This ensures that only requests coming through approved VPC endpoints can access the data lake, directly enforcing the mandate that access must originate from approved VPCs.
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 11, 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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