- A
IAM permissions boundary
Why wrong: Permissions boundaries limit permissions for IAM entities but do not restrict Regions at the account level.
- B
IAM policy applied to the root user
Why wrong: IAM policies do not restrict Region creation at the account level; they apply to principals.
- C
Resource-based policy
Why wrong: Resource-based policies are attached to individual resources, not accounts.
- D
Service control policy (SCP)
SCPs allow you to deny actions in specific Regions across all accounts in the organization.
Question 389 of 1,748
How to Deny All Regions Except us-east-1 Using Service Control Policies
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.
A company uses AWS Organizations to manage multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that no resources can be created in a specific AWS Region except for the us-east-1 Region. Which policy type should the security team use?
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
✓
Service control policy (SCP)
Service control policies (SCPs) are the correct choice because they allow you to centrally control the maximum available permissions for all accounts in an AWS Organization. By applying an SCP that denies all actions in a specific region (except us-east-1), the security team can enforce a region restriction across all member accounts, regardless of any IAM policies attached to users or roles. SCPs do not grant permissions themselves but act as a guardrail that limits what IAM policies can allow.
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.
- ✗
IAM permissions boundary
Why it's wrong here
Permissions boundaries limit permissions for IAM entities but do not restrict Regions at the account level.
- ✗
IAM policy applied to the root user
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies do not restrict Region creation at the account level; they apply to principals.
- ✗
Resource-based policy
Why it's wrong here
Resource-based policies are attached to individual resources, not accounts.
- ✓
Service control policy (SCP)
Why this is correct
SCPs allow you to deny actions in specific Regions across all accounts in the organization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse SCPs with IAM policies, thinking that a simple IAM policy denying region access can achieve the same result, but SCPs are the only mechanism that can enforce restrictions across all users and roles in multiple accounts within an organization.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SCPs are evaluated before IAM policies and can use the `aws:RequestedRegion` global condition key to deny actions in specific regions. For example, an SCP with a Deny effect on `ec2:*` where `aws:RequestedRegion` is not `us-east-1` will block all EC2 actions in other regions, even if an IAM policy explicitly allows them. A common subtlety is that SCPs do not affect the management account of the organization unless explicitly applied, so the security team must ensure the SCP is attached to the root organizational unit or specific member accounts.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
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: Service control policy (SCP) — Service control policies (SCPs) are the correct choice because they allow you to centrally control the maximum available permissions for all accounts in an AWS Organization. By applying an SCP that denies all actions in a specific region (except us-east-1), the security team can enforce a region restriction across all member accounts, regardless of any IAM policies attached to users or roles. SCPs do not grant permissions themselves but act as a guardrail that limits what IAM policies can allow.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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