This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 CloudFormation template creates an S3 bucket with encryption and a bucket policy as shown in the exhibit. An administrator tries to upload an object using the AWS CLI without specifying any encryption. What will happen?
The upload succeeds because the bucket has default encryption enabled.
Why wrong: The bucket policy is evaluated before default encryption is applied.
B
The upload fails because the bucket policy allows only objects with AES256 encryption, but the default encryption is sufficient.
Why wrong: The policy denies, not allows; and default encryption does not override the policy.
C
The upload fails because the bucket policy denies PutObject without the encryption header.
The Deny statement explicitly denies PutObject when encryption is not AES256.
D
The upload succeeds because the default encryption automatically adds the AES256 header.
Why wrong: Default encryption applies at the bucket level, but the policy requires the request to include the header; the default encryption does not modify the request.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The upload fails because the bucket policy denies PutObject without the encryption header.
Option C is correct. The bucket policy denies PutObject if the encryption header is not AES256. Since the request has no encryption header, it does not equal AES256, so the Deny applies and the upload fails. The bucket's default encryption (AES256) applies only if the request does not specify encryption; however, the bucket policy is evaluated before the default encryption is applied, so the Deny takes effect. Option A is wrong because the policy denies it. Option B is wrong because default encryption does not satisfy the policy condition. Option D is wrong because the policy explicitly denies.
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.
✗
The upload succeeds because the bucket has default encryption enabled.
Why it's wrong here
The bucket policy is evaluated before default encryption is applied.
✗
The upload fails because the bucket policy allows only objects with AES256 encryption, but the default encryption is sufficient.
Why it's wrong here
The policy denies, not allows; and default encryption does not override the policy.
✓
The upload fails because the bucket policy denies PutObject without the encryption header.
Why this is correct
The Deny statement explicitly denies PutObject when encryption is not AES256.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The upload succeeds because the default encryption automatically adds the AES256 header.
Why it's wrong here
Default encryption applies at the bucket level, but the policy requires the request to include the header; the default encryption does not modify the request.
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.
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 SOA-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The upload fails because the bucket policy denies PutObject without the encryption header. — Option C is correct. The bucket policy denies PutObject if the encryption header is not AES256. Since the request has no encryption header, it does not equal AES256, so the Deny applies and the upload fails. The bucket's default encryption (AES256) applies only if the request does not specify encryption; however, the bucket policy is evaluated before the default encryption is applied, so the Deny takes effect. Option A is wrong because the policy denies it. Option B is wrong because default encryption does not satisfy the policy condition. Option D is wrong because the policy explicitly denies.
What should I do if I get this SOA-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 SOA-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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