The correct answer is that the condition key 'aws:SourceAccount' only applies when the request is made from another account; it does not restrict access to resources owned by the same account. This is because the 'aws:SourceAccount' condition is designed for resource-based policies, such as S3 bucket policies, to prevent cross-account confusion of resources by validating the source account only when the request originates from a different account. In an IAM identity-based policy attached to a user or role, this condition is not evaluated for same-account requests, meaning any principal within account 123456789012 can still perform S3 actions without restriction. On the CISA exam, this tests your understanding of IAM policy source account misconfiguration, a common trap where candidates assume a condition key applies universally across all policy types. Remember: identity-based policies control who can act, resource-based policies control who can access—and 'aws:SourceAccount' only works in the latter. Memory tip: "Source checks the source, not the same house."
CISA Protection of Information Assets Practice Question
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of protection of information assets. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. The IAM policy is intended to allow only requests originating from account 123456789012 to perform any S3 actions. Why does the policy NOT achieve this objective?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "NOT"
Why it matters: Negative qualifier — you are looking for the one option that does NOT apply. Most options will be true; only one is false for this scenario.
The Resource element is set to "*", which allows all actions on all resources regardless of the condition.
Why wrong: The condition is evaluated, but it does not filter resources by ownership; the policy still allows access to any bucket from the source account.
B
The condition key 'aws:SourceAccount' only applies when the request is made from another account; it does not restrict access to resources owned by the same account.
The condition key is misapplied; it does not limit the S3 resources to those in the specified account.
C
The policy should include a Deny statement for all other accounts to be effective.
Why wrong: A Deny statement could help but would not fix the condition key issue; the policy intrinsically allows all S3 actions from the specified source account.
D
The Version element is incorrect and should be updated to the latest version.
Why wrong: The version is correct; policy syntax is not the issue.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The condition key 'aws:SourceAccount' only applies when the request is made from another account; it does not restrict access to resources owned by the same account.
Option B is correct because the 'aws:SourceAccount' condition key is designed for use in resource-based policies (like S3 bucket policies) to prevent cross-account confusion of resources. It does not restrict access within the same account; it only validates the source account when the request originates from a different account. Since the policy is an IAM identity-based policy (attached to a user/role), the 'aws:SourceAccount' condition is not evaluated for same-account requests, so any principal in account 123456789012 can still perform S3 actions without being restricted by this condition.
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 Resource element is set to "*", which allows all actions on all resources regardless of the condition.
Why it's wrong here
The condition is evaluated, but it does not filter resources by ownership; the policy still allows access to any bucket from the source account.
✓
The condition key 'aws:SourceAccount' only applies when the request is made from another account; it does not restrict access to resources owned by the same account.
Why this is correct
The condition key is misapplied; it does not limit the S3 resources to those in the specified account.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "NOT" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The policy should include a Deny statement for all other accounts to be effective.
Why it's wrong here
A Deny statement could help but would not fix the condition key issue; the policy intrinsically allows all S3 actions from the specified source account.
✗
The Version element is incorrect and should be updated to the latest version.
Why it's wrong here
The version is correct; policy syntax is not the issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume 'aws:SourceAccount' works identically in both identity-based and resource-based policies, but it only restricts cross-account access and has no effect on same-account requests, leading to a false sense of security.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The 'aws:SourceAccount' condition key is part of the 'aws:SourceIp' family of global condition keys and is evaluated only in resource-based policies (e.g., S3 bucket policies) to prevent the confused deputy problem. In IAM identity-based policies, the condition key 'aws:SourceAccount' is ignored because the principal is already within the same account; AWS documentation explicitly states that this key is not evaluated for same-account requests. A real-world scenario is when an organization uses a single account for multiple teams—this policy would not prevent Team A from accessing Team B's S3 buckets within the same account.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
Protection of Information Assets — This question tests Protection of Information Assets — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The condition key 'aws:SourceAccount' only applies when the request is made from another account; it does not restrict access to resources owned by the same account. — Option B is correct because the 'aws:SourceAccount' condition key is designed for use in resource-based policies (like S3 bucket policies) to prevent cross-account confusion of resources. It does not restrict access within the same account; it only validates the source account when the request originates from a different account. Since the policy is an IAM identity-based policy (attached to a user/role), the 'aws:SourceAccount' condition is not evaluated for same-account requests, so any principal in account 123456789012 can still perform S3 actions without being restricted by this condition.
What should I do if I get this CISA 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: "NOT". Negative qualifier — you are looking for the one option that does NOT apply. Most options will be true; only one is false for this scenario.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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