SCS-C02 Identity and Access Management Practice Question
Which TWO actions can be used to restrict access to an S3 bucket to only users who authenticate using multi-factor authentication (MFA)? (Choose TWO.)
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
✓
Use pre-signed URLs with MFA credentials
The correct answers are B and E. Option B: Pre-signed URLs generated with MFA credentials require the user to authenticate with MFA before accessing the S3 object. Option E: A bucket policy with a condition `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent: true` enforces MFA for all operations on the bucket. Option A is wrong because AWS CloudTrail only logs API calls, it does not enforce access control. Option C is wrong because S3 bucket ACLs do not support conditions to check MFA. Option D is wrong because IAM policies with MFA conditions apply at the user/group level, not directly to the S3 bucket; the bucket policy is needed to restrict bucket access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to log requests and deny those without MFA
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs events, it does not enforce policies.
- ✓
Use pre-signed URLs with MFA credentials
Why this is correct
Pre-signed URLs can be generated with MFA, requiring MFA for access.
- ✗
Set an S3 bucket ACL that requires MFA
Why it's wrong here
S3 ACLs do not support MFA conditions.
- ✗
Add a condition in the IAM policy that checks aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent is true
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies can enforce MFA for the user, but not specifically for S3 bucket access.
- ✓
Add a condition in the bucket policy that checks aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent is true
Why this is correct
This condition requires MFA for the request.
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 |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every SCS-C02 question from scratch — 376 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.