The answer is IAM roles that grant permissions to services requiring access, resource-based bucket policies, and service control policies (SCPs) or similar organization-wide guardrails. These three mechanisms enforce least privilege storage access control mechanisms by ensuring that only explicitly authorized services—such as AWS CloudTrail or AWS Config—can interact with storage buckets, rather than relying on broad network rules or blanket permissions. On the CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-004 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between identity-based and resource-based policies, with a common trap being the selection of IP-based restrictions or VPC endpoints, which control network traffic but do not enforce service-level authorization. Remember that least privilege for storage requires you to specify exactly which service principal can act, not just where the request comes from. A useful memory tip is “Who, What, Where”—IAM roles define who, bucket policies define what actions on what resource, and SCPs define where in the organization the policy applies.
CV0-004 Cloud Architecture and Design Practice Question
This CV0-004 practice question tests your understanding of cloud architecture and design. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 cloud administrator is reviewing the security posture of a cloud deployment. The company has a policy of least privilege and must ensure that only authorized services can access storage buckets. Which THREE mechanisms should the administrator configure to enforce this policy? (Choose three.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Bucket policies that restrict access to specific AWS services
Option B is correct because bucket policies, such as AWS S3 bucket policies, can explicitly grant or deny access to specific AWS services (e.g., AWS CloudTrail or AWS Config) using the `Principal` element with a service principal (e.g., `Service: cloudtrail.amazonaws.com`). This aligns with the least privilege policy by ensuring only authorized services can access the storage buckets, without relying on network-level controls.
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.
✗
Network ACLs that block unauthorized IP ranges
Why it's wrong here
Network ACLs control traffic at the subnet level, not service-level access.
✓
Bucket policies that restrict access to specific AWS services
Why this is correct
Bucket policies define who can access the bucket and under what conditions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Service control policies (SCPs) to restrict permissions at the account level
Why this is correct
SCPs set permission boundaries for accounts, enforcing least privilege across services.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
IAM roles that grant permissions to services requiring access
Why this is correct
IAM roles provide temporary credentials for services to access resources.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Security groups that allow traffic from authorized services
Why it's wrong here
Security groups apply to compute instances, not storage buckets.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse network-level controls (ACLs and security groups) with identity-based controls, assuming they can restrict service access to storage buckets, but these mechanisms cannot enforce service identity and are not applicable to cloud storage services.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, bucket policies use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policy language with conditions like `aws:SourceArn` or `aws:SourceAccount` to prevent confused deputy attacks, ensuring that only specific services (e.g., AWS Lambda with a particular function ARN) can access the bucket. In a real-world scenario, a company might use a bucket policy to allow AWS Config to write audit logs while blocking all other principals, even if they have IAM permissions, by explicitly denying access unless the `aws:SourceService` condition matches.
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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
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.
Cloud Architecture and Design — This question tests Cloud Architecture and Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Bucket policies that restrict access to specific AWS services — Option B is correct because bucket policies, such as AWS S3 bucket policies, can explicitly grant or deny access to specific AWS services (e.g., AWS CloudTrail or AWS Config) using the `Principal` element with a service principal (e.g., `Service: cloudtrail.amazonaws.com`). This aligns with the least privilege policy by ensuring only authorized services can access the storage buckets, without relying on network-level controls.
What should I do if I get this CV0-004 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: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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