SOA-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Consider the following CloudFormation template snippet:
```yaml
Resources:
MyBucket:
Type: AWS::S3::Bucket
Properties:
BucketName: !Sub '${AWS::AccountId}-my-secure-bucket'
VersioningConfiguration:
Status: Enabled
PublicAccessBlockConfiguration:
BlockPublicAcls: true
BlockPublicPolicy: true
IgnorePublicAcls: true
RestrictPublicBuckets: true
```Refer to the exhibit. A SysOps administrator creates this stack. Which of the following is true about the bucket?
⚠ Common exam trap
SOA-C02 often tests whether candidates can read a CloudFormation snippet and infer the resulting resource state — the trap is assuming a bucket is public or unversioned by default without checking the explicit properties in the template.
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
✓
The bucket has versioning enabled
The exhibit shows a CloudFormation template where the S3 bucket resource includes the VersioningConfiguration property with Status set to Enabled. When this stack is deployed, AWS applies that configuration to the bucket, so versioning is active. This means every object overwrite or delete creates a new version rather than destroying the prior object.
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 bucket has versioning enabled
Why this is correct
The exhibit displays the S3 bucket's versioning configuration with the Status field set to 'Enabled'. This confirms that the bucket has versioning enabled, which means every object upload creates a new version rather than overwriting the existing object, preserving history and enabling recovery from accidental deletions or overwrites. Therefore, the statement is correct based on the provided configuration.
- ✗
The bucket is publicly accessible
Why it's wrong here
The bucket is not publicly accessible because the S3 Block Public Access settings are in effect. Even if a bucket policy or ACL grants public permissions, these block settings—such as BlockPublicAcls, IgnorePublicAcls, BlockPublicPolicy, and RestrictPublicBuckets—override and deny all public access. As a result, anonymous requests to the bucket are rejected regardless of any permissive-looking policies.
- ✗
The bucket does not have versioning enabled
Why it's wrong here
This statement is false because the versioning configuration explicitly shows the Status as 'Enabled'. If versioning were disabled, the status would be 'Suspended' or the configuration would not exist. The exhibit clearly indicates that versioning is active, so the claim that the bucket does not have versioning enabled is incorrect.
- ✗
The bucket allows public read access
Why it's wrong here
The bucket does not allow public read access because the Public Access Block configuration is set to block all public access. Public read access requires both an explicit grant (via ACL or bucket policy) and the absence of block public access settings; here, the block settings take precedence. Consequently, any attempt to read objects anonymously or without authentication will be denied.
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
This SOA-C02 question is part of Courseiva's 1,169-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.