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Question 1,536 of 1,546

Security and Compliance →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SOA-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question

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 company's security team notices that an IAM user has been making unauthorized API calls from an IP address outside the company's VPN. The team wants to immediately block all API calls from that specific IP address for all users. Which action should be taken?

Clue words in this question

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

Clue: "immediately / without restart"
Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Read the full VPN explanation →

A
Create a new IAM policy that denies access from the IP address and attach it to all users.
Why wrong: Attaching policies to all users is not scalable and may be incomplete if new users are added.
B
Create an IAM policy that denies access from the IP address and attach it to the organization root.
Why wrong: IAM policies cannot be attached to an organization root; only SCPs can be attached to organizational units.
C
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies access from the IP address and attach it to the root organizational unit.
This blocks the IP for all accounts in the organization, including existing and new accounts.
D
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies access from the IP address and attach it to the IAM user.
Why wrong: SCPs cannot be attached directly to IAM users; they apply to accounts within an organization.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies access from the IP address and attach it to the root organizational unit.

Option D is correct because an SCP applied at the root OU can deny access based on source IP for all accounts in the organization. Option A is wrong because modifying the AWS-managed policy is not allowed. Option B is wrong because a service control policy cannot be attached to a user directly. Option C is wrong because IAM policies can only be attached to users, groups, or roles, not to an organization root.

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.

✗
Create a new IAM policy that denies access from the IP address and attach it to all users.
Why it's wrong here
Attaching policies to all users is not scalable and may be incomplete if new users are added.
✗
Create an IAM policy that denies access from the IP address and attach it to the organization root.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies cannot be attached to an organization root; only SCPs can be attached to organizational units.
✓
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies access from the IP address and attach it to the root organizational unit.
Why this is correct
This blocks the IP for all accounts in the organization, including existing and new accounts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies access from the IP address and attach it to the IAM user.
Why it's wrong here
SCPs cannot be attached directly to IAM users; they apply to accounts within an organization.

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 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 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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SOA-C02 question test?

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: Create a service control policy (SCP) that denies access from the IP address and attach it to the root organizational unit. — Option D is correct because an SCP applied at the root OU can deny access based on source IP for all accounts in the organization. Option A is wrong because modifying the AWS-managed policy is not allowed. Option B is wrong because a service control policy cannot be attached to a user directly. Option C is wrong because IAM policies can only be attached to users, groups, or roles, not to an organization root.

What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Standard ACLs match source addresses.

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