- A
Apply an SCP to deny s3:GetObject for any principal outside the organization.
Why wrong: SCPs apply to principals within the organization, not to external principals.
- B
Remove the bucket policy and add an IAM policy to the company's users.
Why wrong: Does not restrict access to existing objects that are already shared.
- C
Modify the condition to use 'aws:SourceArn' with an ARN from the company's account.
Why wrong: Does not prevent other accounts from using a different source ARN.
- D
Add a condition using 'aws:SourceAccount' with the company's account ID.
Restricts access to requests originating from the specified account.
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 security engineer notices that an S3 bucket contains objects that are accessible to authenticated users from other AWS accounts. The bucket policy allows access to the 'aws:SourceArn' condition that references an Amazon Resource Name (ARN) from another account. What is the MOST effective way to restrict access to only users from the company's own account?
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
Add a condition using 'aws:SourceAccount' with the company's account ID.
Option D is correct because using the 'aws:SourceAccount' condition key with the company's account ID ensures that only requests originating from that account are allowed, effectively blocking cross-account access from other accounts. Option A is incorrect because SCPs apply to principals within the organization and cannot restrict access from external accounts ('aws:SourceAccount' is not evaluated for SCPs). Option B is incorrect because simply removing the bucket policy would break all cross-account access but also removes any existing policy-based permissions within the account; adding IAM policies alone does not grant cross-account access and may not be the most effective solution. Option C is incorrect because 'aws:SourceArn' is typically used for service-to-service access (e.g., SNS to S3) and does not reliably restrict by account; the proper condition key for account-level restriction is 'aws:SourceAccount'.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Apply an SCP to deny s3:GetObject for any principal outside the organization.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs apply to principals within the organization, not to external principals.
- ✗
Remove the bucket policy and add an IAM policy to the company's users.
Why it's wrong here
Does not restrict access to existing objects that are already shared.
- ✗
Modify the condition to use 'aws:SourceArn' with an ARN from the company's account.
Why it's wrong here
Does not prevent other accounts from using a different source ARN.
- ✓
Add a condition using 'aws:SourceAccount' with the company's account ID.
Why this is correct
Restricts access to requests originating from the specified account.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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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 — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add a condition using 'aws:SourceAccount' with the company's account ID. — Option D is correct because using the 'aws:SourceAccount' condition key with the company's account ID ensures that only requests originating from that account are allowed, effectively blocking cross-account access from other accounts. Option A is incorrect because SCPs apply to principals within the organization and cannot restrict access from external accounts ('aws:SourceAccount' is not evaluated for SCPs). Option B is incorrect because simply removing the bucket policy would break all cross-account access but also removes any existing policy-based permissions within the account; adding IAM policies alone does not grant cross-account access and may not be the most effective solution. Option C is incorrect because 'aws:SourceArn' is typically used for service-to-service access (e.g., SNS to S3) and does not reliably restrict by account; the proper condition key for account-level restriction is 'aws:SourceAccount'.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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