How to Enforce HTTPS for S3 GetObject Requests Using Bucket Policy
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. An IAM policy attached to an S3 bucket:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Principal": "*",
"Action": "s3:GetObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*",
"Condition": {
"Bool": {
"aws:SecureTransport": "false"
}
}
}
]
}
Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer applied the bucket policy shown. What is the effect of this policy?
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. An IAM policy attached to an S3 bucket:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Deny",
"Principal": "*",
"Action": "s3:GetObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*",
"Condition": {
"Bool": {
"aws:SecureTransport": "false"
}
}
}
]
}
A
All PutObject requests are denied.
Why wrong: PutObject requests are not denied by this policy; the Deny statement only applies to GetObject.
B
Only GetObject requests that use HTTP are denied.
Correct. The policy denies GetObject requests when aws:SecureTransport is false (HTTP).
C
Only GetObject requests from specific IP ranges are denied.
Why wrong: The policy includes a NotIpAddress condition, but it only applies when aws:SecureTransport is false. It does not deny all GetObject requests from specific IPs; it denies only those over HTTP.
D
All GetObject requests to the bucket are denied.
Why wrong: The policy does not deny all GetObject requests; it only denies those over HTTP. HTTPS requests are allowed.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Only GetObject requests that use HTTP are denied.
The bucket policy includes a Deny statement for s3:GetObject requests that are not using HTTPS. The condition `aws:SecureTransport` is set to false, meaning the request is over HTTP. Therefore, any GetObject request made over HTTP is denied. PutObject requests are not affected, and GetObject requests over HTTPS are allowed regardless of IP address.
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.
✗
All PutObject requests are denied.
Why it's wrong here
PutObject requests are not denied by this policy; the Deny statement only applies to GetObject.
✓
Only GetObject requests that use HTTP are denied.
Why this is correct
Correct. The policy denies GetObject requests when aws:SecureTransport is false (HTTP).
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Only GetObject requests from specific IP ranges are denied.
Why it's wrong here
The policy includes a NotIpAddress condition, but it only applies when aws:SecureTransport is false. It does not deny all GetObject requests from specific IPs; it denies only those over HTTP.
✗
All GetObject requests to the bucket are denied.
Why it's wrong here
The policy does not deny all GetObject requests; it only denies those over HTTP. HTTPS requests are allowed.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates overlook the `Null` condition on `aws:SecureTransport` and assume the `NotIpAddress` condition alone denies all requests from outside the IP range, missing that the policy only triggers when the request is over HTTP.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `Null` condition block checks whether `aws:SecureTransport` is absent or false (i.e., the request is not using TLS). When combined with `NotIpAddress`, the policy effectively creates a conditional deny: only HTTP requests from outside the allowed IP range are blocked. This is a common pattern for enforcing HTTPS-only access while still allowing administrative access from a trusted IP range over HTTP (though not recommended). The `NotIpAddress` condition evaluates to true when the source IP is not in the specified CIDR, so the deny applies to all IPs outside 192.0.2.0/24, but only when the transport is not secure.
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 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: Only GetObject requests that use HTTP are denied. — The bucket policy includes a Deny statement for s3:GetObject requests that are not using HTTPS. The condition `aws:SecureTransport` is set to false, meaning the request is over HTTP. Therefore, any GetObject request made over HTTP is denied. PutObject requests are not affected, and GetObject requests over HTTPS are allowed regardless of IP address.
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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Variation 1. Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer applies this bucket policy to an S3 bucket. A user without HTTPS tries to download an object. What is the outcome?
hard
✓ A.The request is denied because the condition matches
B.The request fails because the condition does not match
C.The request succeeds because the policy has a Deny effect
D.The request succeeds because the resource is not specific enough
Why A: The bucket policy includes a condition that denies requests when `aws:SecureTransport` is `false`. Since the user attempts to download an object without HTTPS, the condition matches, and the explicit Deny effect overrides any Allow. Therefore, the request is denied.
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