SCS-C02 Identity and Access Management Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 an AWS Lambda function that processes sensitive data stored in an Amazon S3 bucket. The Lambda function needs to read objects from the S3 bucket and write results to a different S3 bucket. The security engineer is configuring IAM permissions for the Lambda execution role. The engineer wants to follow the principle of least privilege. The Lambda function is triggered by S3 events from the source bucket. The engineer creates an IAM policy that grants s3:GetObject on the source bucket and s3:PutObject on the destination bucket. However, when testing, the Lambda function fails with an access denied error when trying to process an object. The error message indicates that the Lambda function does not have permission to list the objects in the source bucket. The engineer checks the S3 event notification configuration and confirms that the event is configured correctly. What should the engineer do to resolve the issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add s3:ListBucket permission for the source bucket to the Lambda execution role.
C: Correct – The Lambda function needs s3:ListBucket permission to list objects in the source bucket when triggered by S3 events; the event notification provides the object key but the function may still need list permission for certain operations (e.g., if it uses S3 batch operations or if the SDK performs a list). A: Incorrect – Adding s3:PutObject on the source bucket is unnecessary and grants extra permission. B: Incorrect – Granting full S3 access violates least privilege. D: Incorrect – The issue is not with the destination bucket; the error is about listing source bucket.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Add s3:ListBucket permission for the source bucket to the Lambda execution role.
Why this is correct
Correct – Grants the required list permission.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
Add s3:GetObject permission for the destination bucket to the Lambda execution role.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect – The function needs PutObject on destination, not GetObject.
✗
Add s3:* permission for both buckets to the Lambda execution role.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect – Violates least privilege.
✗
Add s3:PutObject permission for the source bucket to the Lambda execution role.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect – Unnecessary and does not fix the list permission.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SCS-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add s3:ListBucket permission for the source bucket to the Lambda execution role. — C: Correct – The Lambda function needs s3:ListBucket permission to list objects in the source bucket when triggered by S3 events; the event notification provides the object key but the function may still need list permission for certain operations (e.g., if it uses S3 batch operations or if the SDK performs a list). A: Incorrect – Adding s3:PutObject on the source bucket is unnecessary and grants extra permission. B: Incorrect – Granting full S3 access violates least privilege. D: Incorrect – The issue is not with the destination bucket; the error is about listing source bucket.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SCS-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Question Discussion
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