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Question 863 of 1,738

Identity and Access Management →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SCS-C02 Identity and Access Management Practice Question

This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. 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 multi-account AWS Organizations setup with a central security account (Account ID: 111122223333) and several member accounts. The security team uses AWS CloudTrail to log all API calls across accounts and stores the logs in an S3 bucket (my-cloudtrail-bucket) in the security account. The team wants to allow the security team members (IAM users in the security account) to access the CloudTrail logs, while denying access to all other users in the organization, including the root user of the security account. The security team has attached the following IAM policy to the IAM group containing the security team members:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": "s3:GetObject",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-cloudtrail-bucket/*"
    }
  ]
}

However, a security team member reports that they are receiving an AccessDenied error when trying to download a log file. The bucket policy is as follows:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Deny",
      "Principal": "*",
      "Action": "s3:GetObject",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-cloudtrail-bucket/*",
      "Condition": {
        "Bool": {

"aws:SecureTransport": "false"

}
      }
    },
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Principal": {
        "AWS": "arn:aws:iam::111122223333:root"
      },
      "Action": "s3:GetObject",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-cloudtrail-bucket/*"
    },
    {
      "Effect": "Deny",
      "Principal": "*",
      "Action": "s3:*",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-cloudtrail-bucket/*",
      "Condition": {
        "StringNotEquals": {

"aws:PrincipalAccount": "111122223333"

}
      }
    }
  ]
}

What is the most likely reason for the AccessDenied error?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Full question →

A
The bucket policy denies access to all principals except those in account 111122223333, but the IAM users are in that account, so they are denied.
Why wrong: The Deny statement with aws:PrincipalAccount denies only if the account is not 111122223333; the IAM users are in that account, so they are not denied by that statement.
B
The bucket policy requires secure transport, and the security team member is not using HTTPS.
Why wrong: If the team member uses HTTPS, that condition is not triggered. The error is likely due to missing Allow.
C
The bucket policy allows only the root user of the security account, not the IAM users.
The bucket policy's Allow statement grants access to the root user only, not to IAM users in the account.
D
The IAM policy has an implicit deny because the security team members are not allowed to access S3.
Why wrong: The IAM policy explicitly allows s3:GetObject, so no implicit deny at the IAM level.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 bucket policy allows only the root user of the security account, not the IAM users.

Option B is correct. The bucket policy allows the root user but does not explicitly allow the IAM users. While the root user is allowed, the Deny statement for non-root users is not present; however, the Allow for root does not extend to IAM users. The IAM users are not the root user, so the Allow statement does not apply to them. The IAM policy allows GetObject, but the bucket policy does not grant access to the IAM users, so the default implicit deny applies. Option A is wrong because the IAM policy does not have a Deny. Option C is wrong because the Deny for non-111122223333 accounts does not affect users in the same account. Option D is wrong because the SecureTransport condition only denies when HTTPS is not used.

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.

✗
The bucket policy denies access to all principals except those in account 111122223333, but the IAM users are in that account, so they are denied.
Why it's wrong here
The Deny statement with aws:PrincipalAccount denies only if the account is not 111122223333; the IAM users are in that account, so they are not denied by that statement.
✗
The bucket policy requires secure transport, and the security team member is not using HTTPS.
Why it's wrong here
If the team member uses HTTPS, that condition is not triggered. The error is likely due to missing Allow.
✓
The bucket policy allows only the root user of the security account, not the IAM users.
Why this is correct
The bucket policy's Allow statement grants access to the root user only, not to IAM users in the account.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The IAM policy has an implicit deny because the security team members are not allowed to access S3.
Why it's wrong here
The IAM policy explicitly allows s3:GetObject, so no implicit deny at the IAM level.

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 SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SCS-C02 question test?

Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — Standard ACLs match source addresses..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The bucket policy allows only the root user of the security account, not the IAM users. — Option B is correct. The bucket policy allows the root user but does not explicitly allow the IAM users. While the root user is allowed, the Deny statement for non-root users is not present; however, the Allow for root does not extend to IAM users. The IAM users are not the root user, so the Allow statement does not apply to them. The IAM policy allows GetObject, but the bucket policy does not grant access to the IAM users, so the default implicit deny applies. Option A is wrong because the IAM policy does not have a Deny. Option C is wrong because the Deny for non-111122223333 accounts does not affect users in the same account. Option D is wrong because the SecureTransport condition only denies when HTTPS is not used.

What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Standard ACLs match source addresses.

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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026

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