- A
Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to the IAM group that contains all users.
Why wrong: SCPs cannot be attached to IAM groups; they are attached to OUs or accounts.
- B
Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to the root organizational unit (OU).
Attaching the SCP to the root OU applies it to all accounts in the organization, enforcing MFA for all IAM users.
- C
Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to each IAM user.
Why wrong: SCPs cannot be attached directly to IAM users; they are attached to OUs or accounts.
- D
Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to the management account.
Why wrong: SCPs attached to the management account affect only the management account, not member accounts.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to the root organizational unit. This works because Service Control Policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations use the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key to enforce MFA for all IAM users across every account in the organization, and attaching the policy to the root OU ensures it cascades down to all child OUs and member accounts. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of centralized guardrails versus account-level IAM policies—a common trap is trying to enforce MFA with an IAM policy on each account, which is impractical at scale. Remember that SCPs cannot grant permissions, only deny or allow them, so the deny effect combined with the MFA condition key is the only way to enforce MFA for all IAM users organization-wide. Memory tip: think of SCPs as the bouncer at the organization’s door—if you don’t show MFA, you don’t get in.
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.
A company is using AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that all IAM users in the organization have multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled. Which combination of actions should be taken to enforce this requirement?
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
Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to the root organizational unit (OU).
Option B is correct because Service Control Policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations can be attached to the root organizational unit (OU) to apply a blanket denial of IAM actions when MFA is not present, affecting all accounts and users within the organization. This leverages the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key in an SCP to enforce MFA at the organization level, ensuring that even if IAM users are created in member accounts, they cannot perform IAM actions without MFA. Attaching the SCP to the root OU ensures the policy cascades down to all child OUs and accounts, providing centralized enforcement.
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.
- ✗
Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to the IAM group that contains all users.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs cannot be attached to IAM groups; they are attached to OUs or accounts.
- ✓
Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to the root organizational unit (OU).
Why this is correct
Attaching the SCP to the root OU applies it to all accounts in the organization, enforcing MFA for all IAM users.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to each IAM user.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs cannot be attached directly to IAM users; they are attached to OUs or accounts.
- ✗
Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to the management account.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs attached to the management account affect only the management account, not member accounts.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates mistakenly think SCPs can be attached to IAM users or groups, but SCPs are organization-level policies that only apply to OUs, accounts, or the root, not to individual IAM entities.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key evaluates to true only if the user authenticated with MFA; if the key is absent (e.g., for API calls from the root user or service principals), the condition fails, and the SCP denies the action. SCPs use an allow-list or deny-list model, and a deny statement in an SCP overrides any allow in IAM policies, making it a powerful guardrail. In practice, this enforcement ensures that even if an IAM user has full administrative permissions, they cannot perform any IAM actions (like creating users or changing passwords) without MFA, which is critical for compliance frameworks like PCI DSS.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
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: Create an SCP that denies IAM actions without MFA and attach it to the root organizational unit (OU). — Option B is correct because Service Control Policies (SCPs) in AWS Organizations can be attached to the root organizational unit (OU) to apply a blanket denial of IAM actions when MFA is not present, affecting all accounts and users within the organization. This leverages the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key in an SCP to enforce MFA at the organization level, ensuring that even if IAM users are created in member accounts, they cannot perform IAM actions without MFA. Attaching the SCP to the root OU ensures the policy cascades down to all child OUs and accounts, providing centralized enforcement.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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