Quick Answer
The answer is a service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations. SCPs act as a centralized guardrail that can enforce IAM role managed policy attachment by denying the creation of any role that does not include a specific managed policy, such as SecurityAudit. This works because SCPs define the maximum permissions for all accounts in an organization, allowing you to block the CreateRole action unless the required policy is attached via a condition key like `iam:PermissionsBoundary` or by evaluating the attached policies. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between preventive controls (SCPs) and detective controls (AWS Config). A common trap is choosing AWS Config, which can detect noncompliant roles after creation but cannot prevent them. CloudTrail only logs events, and IAM policies themselves cannot enforce creation rules. Memory tip: SCPs are the "bouncer" at the door—they stop unwanted roles from entering the account before they exist.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. 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 security team is reviewing IAM roles and policies. They want to ensure that any new IAM role created in the account must include a specific managed policy (e.g., SecurityAudit). What AWS service can enforce this requirement?
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs, does not enforce.
AWS Config rules
Why wrong: Config is detective, not preventive.
Service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations
SCPs can deny role creation if required policy is not attached.
IAM permissions boundary
Why wrong: Permissions boundary limits permissions but does not enforce policy attachment.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations
Option C is correct because SCPs can deny IAM role creation if the role does not have a specific policy attached. Option A is wrong because IAM policies define permissions, not enforce role creation rules. Option B is wrong because AWS Config can detect noncompliant roles but cannot prevent their creation. Option D is wrong because CloudTrail logs API calls but does not enforce policies.
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
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs, does not enforce.
AWS Config rules
Why it's wrong here
Config is detective, not preventive.
Service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations
Why this is correct
SCPs can deny role creation if required policy is not attached.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
IAM permissions boundary
Why it's wrong here
Permissions boundary limits permissions but does not enforce policy attachment.
Common exam traps
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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.
Management and Security Governance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
The correct answer is: Service control policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations — Option C is correct because SCPs can deny IAM role creation if the role does not have a specific policy attached. Option A is wrong because IAM policies define permissions, not enforce role creation rules. Option B is wrong because AWS Config can detect noncompliant roles but cannot prevent their creation. Option D is wrong because CloudTrail logs API calls but does not enforce policies.
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.
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This SCS-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 SCS-C02 exam.
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