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Security and Compliance →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SOA-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question

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. 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 wants to allow its DevOps team to launch EC2 instances using a specific AMI ID and only in a particular VPC. Which IAM policy should be used?

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
{"Effect":"Deny","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"*","Condition":{"StringNotEquals":{"ec2:Vpc":"vpc-12345678"},"StringNotEquals":{"ec2:ImageId":"ami-12345678"}}}
Why wrong: This deny statement would allow instances that match either condition, which is not the desired restriction.
B
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"arn:aws:ec2:region::image/ami-12345678"}
Why wrong: This allows the specific AMI but in any VPC, which is not restrictive enough.
C
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"*","Condition":{"StringEquals":{"ec2:Vpc":"vpc-12345678","ec2:ImageId":"ami-12345678"}}}
This allows RunInstances only when both the VPC and AMI match the specified values.
D
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"*","Condition":{"StringEquals":{"ec2:Vpc":"vpc-12345678"}}}
Why wrong: This allows any AMI in the specified VPC, which is too permissive.

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

✓

{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"*","Condition":{"StringEquals":{"ec2:Vpc":"vpc-12345678","ec2:ImageId":"ami-12345678"}}}

Option D is correct because it uses condition keys ec2:Vpc and ec2:ImageId to restrict the RunInstances action to the specified VPC and AMI. Option A is wrong because it only restricts the VPC but not the AMI. Option B is wrong because it restricts the AMI but not the VPC. Option C is wrong because it uses a deny statement that would block all instances not matching both conditions, which may be too restrictive for other allowed actions.

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.

✗
{"Effect":"Deny","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"*","Condition":{"StringNotEquals":{"ec2:Vpc":"vpc-12345678"},"StringNotEquals":{"ec2:ImageId":"ami-12345678"}}}
Why it's wrong here
This deny statement would allow instances that match either condition, which is not the desired restriction.
✗
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"arn:aws:ec2:region::image/ami-12345678"}
Why it's wrong here
This allows the specific AMI but in any VPC, which is not restrictive enough.
✓
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"*","Condition":{"StringEquals":{"ec2:Vpc":"vpc-12345678","ec2:ImageId":"ami-12345678"}}}
Why this is correct
This allows RunInstances only when both the VPC and AMI match the specified values.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
{"Effect":"Allow","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"*","Condition":{"StringEquals":{"ec2:Vpc":"vpc-12345678"}}}
Why it's wrong here
This allows any AMI in the specified VPC, which is too permissive.

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: {"Effect":"Allow","Action":"ec2:RunInstances","Resource":"*","Condition":{"StringEquals":{"ec2:Vpc":"vpc-12345678","ec2:ImageId":"ami-12345678"}}} — Option D is correct because it uses condition keys ec2:Vpc and ec2:ImageId to restrict the RunInstances action to the specified VPC and AMI. Option A is wrong because it only restricts the VPC but not the AMI. Option B is wrong because it restricts the AMI but not the VPC. Option C is wrong because it uses a deny statement that would block all instances not matching both conditions, which may be too restrictive for other allowed actions.

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

What is the key concept behind this question?

Standard ACLs match source addresses.

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