This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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. A key principle to apply: the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key checks if the user's session was authenticated with MFA.. 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 company's security policy requires that all IAM users must authenticate with multi-factor authentication (MFA) before they can perform any actions on Amazon EC2 instances. The SysOps administrator needs to enforce this requirement using IAM policies. Which IAM policy condition key should the administrator use in the policy?
Using the condition 'aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent': 'true' in an IAM policy ensures that the caller must have authenticated with MFA to allow the action.
B
aws:SourceIp
Why wrong: The 'aws:SourceIp' condition key restricts access based on the IP address of the requester, not the method of authentication.
C
iam:PassedToService
Why wrong: The 'iam:PassedToService' condition key controls which roles can be passed to AWS services, not MFA enforcement.
D
ec2:SourceInstanceARN
Why wrong: The 'ec2:SourceInstanceARN' condition key is used to restrict EC2 actions based on the source instance, but it does not enforce MFA.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent
Option A is correct because the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key allows the administrator to enforce MFA authentication by checking whether the user authenticated with a valid MFA device before allowing the action. When set to `true`, the policy denies access to EC2 actions unless the user has completed MFA. This directly satisfies the security policy requirement.
Key principle: The `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key checks if the user's session was authenticated with MFA.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent
Why this is correct
Using the condition 'aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent': 'true' in an IAM policy ensures that the caller must have authenticated with MFA to allow the action.
Related concept
The `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key checks if the user's session was authenticated with MFA.
✗
aws:SourceIp
Why it's wrong here
The 'aws:SourceIp' condition key restricts access based on the IP address of the requester, not the method of authentication.
✗
iam:PassedToService
Why it's wrong here
The 'iam:PassedToService' condition key controls which roles can be passed to AWS services, not MFA enforcement.
✗
ec2:SourceInstanceARN
Why it's wrong here
The 'ec2:SourceInstanceARN' condition key is used to restrict EC2 actions based on the source instance, but it does not enforce MFA.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` with `aws:SourceIp` or `iam:PassedToService`, mistakenly thinking IP-based or role-passing conditions can enforce MFA, when only the MFA-specific condition key works.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `aws:MultiAuthFactorPresent` key evaluates to `true` only when the user authenticated using a hardware or virtual MFA device during the current session. A common subtlety is that this key does not enforce MFA for API calls made using long-term credentials (access keys) unless the session explicitly includes MFA (e.g., via `sts:GetSessionToken` with MFA). In real-world scenarios, administrators often combine this key with `aws:MultiFactorAuthAge` to require recent MFA validation.
KKey Concepts to Remember
The `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key checks if the user's session was authenticated with MFA.
It is commonly used in IAM policies to enforce MFA for sensitive actions or resources.
Setting `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent`: 'true' requires MFA for the policy to grant access.
This condition key applies to the authentication context of the principal making the request.
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
The `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key checks if the user's session was authenticated with MFA.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key checks if the user's session was authenticated with MFA., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — The `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key checks if the user's session was authenticated with MFA..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent — Option A is correct because the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key allows the administrator to enforce MFA authentication by checking whether the user authenticated with a valid MFA device before allowing the action. When set to `true`, the policy denies access to EC2 actions unless the user has completed MFA. This directly satisfies the security policy requirement.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Review the `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key checks if the user's session was authenticated with MFA., then practise related SOA-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
The `aws:MultiFactorAuthPresent` condition key checks if the user's session was authenticated with MFA.
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