The answer is to apply an SCP that denies changes to the specified tags for all accounts in the Production OU. This is correct because Service Control Policies (SCPs) act as a centralized permission guardrail in AWS Organizations, allowing you to enforce mandatory tags on new accounts with SCP by denying any IAM action that modifies or removes the CostCenter and Environment tags. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the difference between preventive controls (SCPs) and detective controls (AWS Config); a common trap is choosing Config rules, which only detect non-compliance after the fact, or assuming SCPs can automatically add tags—they cannot. Remember the memory tip: SCPs are the bouncer at the door—they can stop bad actions (like tag removal) but cannot hand out stickers (automatic tags).
SCS-C02 Management and Security Governance Practice Question
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.
An organization uses AWS Organizations with multiple OUs. The security team wants to ensure that any new account created in the 'Production' OU automatically gets a set of mandatory tags (CostCenter, Environment) and that these tags cannot be removed. What is the most effective approach?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Apply an SCP that denies changes to the specified tags for all accounts in the Production OU.
Option B is correct: using an SCP with a condition that denies modification of those specific tags. SCPs can prevent any IAM actions that remove or modify tags. Option A is wrong because AWS Config rules only detect, not prevent. Option C is wrong because SCPs cannot be used to automatically add tags. Option D is wrong because IAM policies in each account are less centralized.
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.
✗
Use AWS Service Catalog to provision accounts with pre-defined tags.
Why it's wrong here
Service Catalog provisions products, not accounts.
✗
Use AWS Config rules to detect untagged resources and send alerts.
Why it's wrong here
Alerts do not prevent the removal of tags.
✗
Create an IAM policy in each account that prohibits tag removal.
Why it's wrong here
Less scalable and may be overridden by account admins.
✓
Apply an SCP that denies changes to the specified tags for all accounts in the Production OU.
Why this is correct
SCPs can deny actions that would modify protected tags.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply an SCP that denies changes to the specified tags for all accounts in the Production OU. — Option B is correct: using an SCP with a condition that denies modification of those specific tags. SCPs can prevent any IAM actions that remove or modify tags. Option A is wrong because AWS Config rules only detect, not prevent. Option C is wrong because SCPs cannot be used to automatically add tags. Option D is wrong because IAM policies in each account are less centralized.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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