The answer is to enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level and to use a bucket policy that denies s3:PutBucketPolicy unless the request originates from a specific VPC. These two actions work together as a defense-in-depth strategy: the account-level block acts as a safety net that overrides any bucket-level settings, while the conditional bucket policy prevents unauthorized users from ever writing a policy that could expose the bucket, even from within the account. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to prevent accidental public access to S3 buckets, often by presenting traps like MFA Delete or encryption requirements, which protect against deletion or data exposure but do not control public access. A common memory tip is to think of Block Public Access as the “master kill switch” and the VPC-conditioned policy as a “locked door” for policy changes—together, they stop both human error and malicious misconfiguration.
SCS-C02 Infrastructure Security Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure security. 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.
Which TWO actions can be taken to protect an S3 bucket from accidental public access? (Choose 2.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level
Options B and C are correct. Enabling S3 Block Public Access at the account level prevents any public access. Using bucket policies with conditions that require encryption does not directly prevent public access. Option A is wrong because MFA delete protects against accidental deletion, not public access. Option D is wrong because encryption does not prevent public access. Option E is wrong because requiring MFA for access does not prevent public access.
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.
✓
Enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level
Why this is correct
Blocks all public access to S3 buckets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Use a bucket policy that denies s3:PutBucketPolicy unless the request comes from a specific VPC
Why this is correct
Prevents unauthorized changes to bucket policy that could grant public access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable default encryption for the bucket
Why it's wrong here
Encryption does not prevent public access.
✗
Enable MFA Delete on the bucket
Why it's wrong here
MFA Delete protects against deletion, not public access.
✗
Use an IAM policy that requires MFA for all S3 actions
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 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.
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.
Infrastructure Security — This question tests Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable S3 Block Public Access at the account level — Options B and C are correct. Enabling S3 Block Public Access at the account level prevents any public access. Using bucket policies with conditions that require encryption does not directly prevent public access. Option A is wrong because MFA delete protects against accidental deletion, not public access. Option D is wrong because encryption does not prevent public access. Option E is wrong because requiring MFA for access does not prevent public access.
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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Question Discussion
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