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Infrastructure Security →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SCS-C02 Infrastructure Security Practice Question

This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.

Resources:
  MyBucket:
    Type: AWS::S3::Bucket
    Properties:
      BucketName: my-secure-bucket
      PublicAccessBlockConfiguration:
        BlockPublicAcls: true
        BlockPublicPolicy: true
        IgnorePublicAcls: true
        RestrictPublicBuckets: true
      BucketPolicy:
        Statement:
        - Effect: Allow
          Principal:
            AWS: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/DataAccessRole
          Action: s3:GetObject
          Resource: !Sub arn:aws:s3:::${MyBucket}/*

Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer deploys this CloudFormation template. An IAM role 'DataAccessRole' in the same account needs to read objects from the bucket. After deployment, users assume the role but get AccessDenied errors when trying to read objects. What is the MOST likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

  • Clue: "most likely"

    Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

Resources:
  MyBucket:
    Type: AWS::S3::Bucket
    Properties:
      BucketName: my-secure-bucket
      PublicAccessBlockConfiguration:
        BlockPublicAcls: true
        BlockPublicPolicy: true
        IgnorePublicAcls: true
        RestrictPublicBuckets: true
      BucketPolicy:
        Statement:
        - Effect: Allow
          Principal:
            AWS: arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/DataAccessRole
          Action: s3:GetObject
          Resource: !Sub arn:aws:s3:::${MyBucket}/*

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

✓

The PublicAccessBlockConfiguration is blocking the bucket policy.

The PublicAccessBlockConfiguration at the account or bucket level overrides any bucket policy that grants public or cross-account access. Even though the bucket policy may allow the DataAccessRole to read objects, the PublicAccessBlockConfiguration blocks all public or cross-account access, causing AccessDenied errors. This is the most likely cause because the bucket policy is effectively ignored when public access blocks are enabled.

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.

  • ✗

    The IAM role is not attached to the EC2 instance profile.

    Why it's wrong here

    The role is assumed directly, not via instance profile.

  • ✗

    The bucket is encrypted with SSE-KMS and the role lacks KMS permissions.

    Why it's wrong here

    No encryption is specified in the template.

  • ✓

    The PublicAccessBlockConfiguration is blocking the bucket policy.

    Why this is correct

    The settings BlockPublicPolicy and RestrictPublicBuckets can prevent the policy from granting access even to specific roles.

    Clue confirmation

    The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    The role does not have s3:ListBucket permission.

    Why it's wrong here

    GetObject does not require ListBucket.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The SCS-C02 exam often tests the misconception that a bucket policy alone is sufficient to grant cross-account access, without considering that PublicAccessBlockConfiguration can silently override it, leading candidates to overlook this setting.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

The PublicAccessBlockConfiguration is a feature that can be applied at the account, bucket, or both levels, and it blocks public or cross-account access even if a bucket policy explicitly grants it. The four settings (BlockPublicAcls, IgnorePublicAcls, BlockPublicPolicy, RestrictPublicBuckets) work together to prevent any public or cross-account access, overriding any bucket policy that would otherwise allow it. In real-world scenarios, this is a common misconfiguration when organizations enable public access blocks for security compliance but forget to create exceptions for specific cross-account roles.

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.

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.

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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: The PublicAccessBlockConfiguration is blocking the bucket policy. — The PublicAccessBlockConfiguration at the account or bucket level overrides any bucket policy that grants public or cross-account access. Even though the bucket policy may allow the DataAccessRole to read objects, the PublicAccessBlockConfiguration blocks all public or cross-account access, causing AccessDenied errors. This is the most likely cause because the bucket policy is effectively ignored when public access blocks are enabled.

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.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

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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This SCS-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SCS-C02 exam.