The answer is to use IAM Access Advisor to review the developer's historical usage and create a custom policy that only includes the services and actions used. This is correct because IAM Access Advisor provides service-level last accessed information, allowing you to identify exactly which AWS services the developer has actually used, then build a tailored policy that grants only those permissions—directly implementing the principle of least privilege by starting from a minimal baseline. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to transition from broad administrative access to least privilege without breaking existing workflows, with a common trap being to choose a job function managed policy that may still include unused services. A key memory tip: think of Access Advisor as a "usage audit tool" that shows what was actually used, while Access Analyzer is for analyzing resource policies for unintended access—never confuse the two.
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 security engineer notices that a developer's IAM user has full administrator access. The engineer wants to implement the principle of least privilege for the developer. What is the best way to proceed?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
✓
Use IAM Access Advisor to review the developer's historical usage and create a custom policy that only includes the services and actions used.
Option B is correct because starting with a minimal set of permissions and gradually adding based on actual usage is the principle of least privilege. Option A is wrong because using the managed policy for job function may grant more permissions than needed. Option C is wrong because removing administrative access without providing alternative permissions would break the developer's work. Option D is wrong because IAM Access Analyzer helps analyze existing policies but does not provide automated least privilege.
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.
✗
Create a new IAM group with the AdministratorAccess policy and add the developer to the group.
Why it's wrong here
This does not reduce permissions.
✓
Use IAM Access Advisor to review the developer's historical usage and create a custom policy that only includes the services and actions used.
Why this is correct
This allows granting only the permissions actually needed.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
Replace the AdministratorAccess policy with a managed job function policy such as PowerUserAccess.
Why it's wrong here
PowerUserAccess still grants broad permissions and may not be least privilege.
✗
Remove the administrative access and ask the developer to request permissions as needed.
Why it's wrong here
This would immediately block all access, causing disruption.
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 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.
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: Use IAM Access Advisor to review the developer's historical usage and create a custom policy that only includes the services and actions used. — Option B is correct because starting with a minimal set of permissions and gradually adding based on actual usage is the principle of least privilege. Option A is wrong because using the managed policy for job function may grant more permissions than needed. Option C is wrong because removing administrative access without providing alternative permissions would break the developer's work. Option D is wrong because IAM Access Analyzer helps analyze existing policies but does not provide automated least privilege.
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: "best", "least". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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