The correct answer is to apply a bucket policy with a Deny effect for s3:GetObject unless the aws:SourceVpce condition key matches the specific VPC Endpoint ID. This works because the aws:SourceVpce condition key evaluates the origin of the request at the network level, ensuring that even if the SIEM tool possesses valid AWS credentials, it can only read the S3 bucket when traffic flows through the designated VPCE. On the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional SAP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of VPC Endpoint policies versus S3 bucket policies, and a common trap is confusing aws:SourceVpce with aws:SourceVpc—the former restricts to a single endpoint, while the latter allows any endpoint in a given VPC. Remember the memory tip: "Deny unless the endpoint ID is in the condition" to lock down S3 access to a specific VPCE.
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 centralized logging account that receives VPC Flow Logs from all accounts in the organization. The logs are stored in an S3 bucket. The security team needs to allow a third-party SIEM tool to read these logs from the S3 bucket, but only from a specific VPCE (VPC Endpoint). Which policy should be applied to the S3 bucket?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Deny s3:GetObject unless aws:SourceVpce matches the VPCE ID.
Option C is correct because using a bucket policy with a condition key like `aws:SourceVpce` allows you to restrict access to only requests originating from a specific VPC Endpoint (VPCE). This ensures that even if the SIEM tool has valid credentials, it can only read the VPC Flow Logs from the S3 bucket when the traffic comes through the designated VPCE, meeting the security team's requirement precisely.
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.
✗
Allow s3:GetObject to the SIEM's IAM role.
Why it's wrong here
This would allow access from anywhere the role is assumed, not just the VPCE.
✗
Use an S3 access point with a network origin policy.
Why it's wrong here
Access points can restrict by VPC, but not specifically by VPCE.
✓
Deny s3:GetObject unless aws:SourceVpce matches the VPCE ID.
Why this is correct
This condition explicitly restricts access to requests originating from the specific VPCE.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Allow s3:GetObject to the SIEM's AWS account ID.
Why it's wrong here
This would allow access from any resource in the SIEM account.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `aws:SourceVpc` (which restricts to an entire VPC) with `aws:SourceVpce` (which restricts to a specific VPC Endpoint), leading them to incorrectly choose Option B (S3 access point) or a generic allow policy, missing the precise VPCE-level control required.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `aws:SourceVpce` condition key checks the VPC endpoint ID from which the request originates, which is available in the request context when traffic flows through a Gateway or Interface VPC Endpoint. This key is more precise than `aws:SourceVpc` because it can isolate traffic to a single endpoint, even within a shared VPC. In practice, this is critical for compliance scenarios where a third-party SIEM must only access logs via a private, auditable connection, preventing data exfiltration over the public internet.
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.
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: Deny s3:GetObject unless aws:SourceVpce matches the VPCE ID. — Option C is correct because using a bucket policy with a condition key like `aws:SourceVpce` allows you to restrict access to only requests originating from a specific VPC Endpoint (VPCE). This ensures that even if the SIEM tool has valid credentials, it can only read the VPC Flow Logs from the S3 bucket when the traffic comes through the designated VPCE, meeting the security team's requirement precisely.
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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