The correct answer is that the policy violates the principle of least privilege. This is because the IAM policy grants wildcard actions (Action: '*') on all resources (Resource: '*'), which directly contradicts the core security concept of granting only the minimum permissions necessary for a user to perform their job functions. Such an overly permissive IAM policy creates an excessive attack surface, allowing any user in the group to perform any operation on any resource, which is a primary compliance concern under frameworks like NIST SP 800-53 and PCI DSS. On the CompTIA SecurityX CAS-004 exam, this scenario tests your ability to identify violations of least privilege in IAM configurations, often appearing as a trap where test-takers overlook the wildcard entries. A common memory tip is to remember the mnemonic "W.A.R." — Wildcard Actions on all Resources equals a violation of least privilege.
CAS-004 Governance, Risk and Compliance Practice Question
This CAS-004 practice question tests your understanding of governance, risk 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The policy violates the principle of least privilege
Option C is correct because the IAM policy grants wildcard actions (Action: '*') on all resources (Resource: '*'), which violates the principle of least privilege by allowing any user in the group to perform any operation on any resource. This broad permission set creates an excessive attack surface and is a primary compliance concern under frameworks like NIST SP 800-53 or PCI DSS, which require restricting access to only what is necessary for job functions.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 policy restricts access to specific resources
Why it's wrong here
The policy allows all resources (Resource: *).
✗
The policy does not enable logging
Why it's wrong here
Logging is not covered by this policy document.
✓
The policy violates the principle of least privilege
Why this is correct
Granting all actions on all resources is excessive and violates least privilege.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The policy does not allow any actions
Why it's wrong here
The policy allows all actions (Action: *).
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the principle of least privilege by presenting a policy that appears functional (allows actions) but is overly permissive, tricking candidates into focusing on whether the policy 'works' rather than whether it complies with security best practices.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In AWS IAM, a policy with 'Effect': 'Allow' and 'Action': '*' on all resources effectively grants full administrative privileges, equivalent to attaching the 'AdministratorAccess' managed policy. Under the principle of least privilege, such a policy should be replaced with scoped actions (e.g., 's3:GetObject') and specific resource ARNs (e.g., 'arn:aws:s3:::example-bucket/*') to minimize blast radius. Real-world compliance audits often flag wildcard policies as high-risk findings, especially in multi-account environments where a single compromised user could escalate privileges across the entire organization.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
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
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Governance, Risk and Compliance — This question tests Governance, Risk and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The policy violates the principle of least privilege — Option C is correct because the IAM policy grants wildcard actions (Action: '*') on all resources (Resource: '*'), which violates the principle of least privilege by allowing any user in the group to perform any operation on any resource. This broad permission set creates an excessive attack surface and is a primary compliance concern under frameworks like NIST SP 800-53 or PCI DSS, which require restricting access to only what is necessary for job functions.
What should I do if I get this CAS-004 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Based on the exhibit, which security issue does this IAM policy represent?
hard
A.No versioning configured
✓ B.Overly permissive resource access
C.Missing server-side encryption
D.Insufficient logging and monitoring
Why B: Option B is correct because the policy allows any principal to read all objects in the bucket, making it overly permissive. Option A is wrong encryption is not addressed. Option C is wrong versioning is not relevant. Option D is wrong logging is not mentioned.
Variation 2. Based on the exhibit, what vulnerability is present in the firewall rule?
medium
✓ A.Overly permissive service specification
B.Source IP range is too broad
C.No logging is enabled
D.Missing application ID control
Why A: Option D is correct because allowing 'any' service is overly permissive. Option A is wrong a /24 is a specific range, not too broad. Option B is wrong logging is not shown but not a vulnerability. Option C is wrong application ID is not relevant to the rule.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
Question Discussion
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This CAS-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CAS-004 exam.
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