PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
"{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "s3:GetObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::sap-backup-bucket/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "s3:PutObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::sap-backup-bucket/*"
},
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "kms:Decrypt",
"Resource": "*"
}
]
}"Refer to the exhibit. An SAP administrator has attached the IAM policy above to an IAM role used by an EC2 instance for S3 backup operations. The backup process fails with 'Access Denied' when trying to upload a backup file. What is the most likely cause?
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
✓
The policy does not include kms:GenerateDataKey and kms:Encrypt
The policy allows s3:PutObject but missing kms:GenerateDataKey and kms:Encrypt for server-side encryption. Without those, PutObject fails if the bucket uses KMS encryption. The s3:GetObject is not needed for upload. kms:Decrypt alone is insufficient.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The policy does not include s3:ListBucket permission
Why it's wrong here
ListBucket is not required for PutObject.
- ✓
The policy does not include kms:GenerateDataKey and kms:Encrypt
Why this is correct
KMS encrypted S3 operations require these permissions.
- ✗
The policy allows kms:Decrypt on all resources, which is too permissive
Why it's wrong here
Excessive permissions do not cause Access Denied.
- ✗
The policy uses s3:PutObject but the bucket policy denies uploads
Why it's wrong here
The exhibit does not show a bucket policy; the error is likely due to missing KMS permissions.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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