The correct recommendation is to restrict the principal to specific IAM roles or users. This bucket policy contains a critical AWS S3 bucket policy security issue by setting "Principal": "*", which effectively grants anonymous read access to anyone, including unauthenticated users on the internet. For a bucket holding sensitive customer data, this violates the principle of least privilege and creates an immediate data exposure risk. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your ability to identify overly permissive resource-based policies, a common trap where auditors must distinguish between granting access to authenticated AWS users versus the general public. The key is remembering that "Principal": "*" does not require authentication, whereas restricting to specific IAM roles ensures only authorized identities can act. Memory tip: think of the asterisk as a "star" that lets anyone in—always lock it down to named roles for sensitive data.
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. 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. An IS auditor finds this bucket policy attached to an S3 bucket storing sensitive customer data. What should the auditor recommend?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Restrict the principal to specific IAM roles or users.
The bucket policy grants access to any principal ("Principal": "*"), meaning any AWS user or anonymous user can perform the allowed actions on the bucket. For a bucket storing sensitive customer data, this is a critical security risk. Restricting the principal to specific IAM roles or users (Option D) ensures only authorized identities can access the bucket, aligning with the principle of least privilege.
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.
✗
Change the Resource to a different bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Resource is not the problem.
✗
Remove the Action "s3:GetObject and add "s3:PutObject".
Why it's wrong here
Changing action does not address the principal issue.
✗
Encrypt the bucket at rest.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption does not prevent unauthorized read access.
✓
Restrict the principal to specific IAM roles or users.
Why this is correct
The policy grants public read access; principal should be limited.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often focus on the actions or resource fields, overlooking the fact that the "Principal": "*" is the most critical security flaw, as it allows any entity to invoke the permitted actions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In AWS S3 bucket policies, the "Principal": "*" wildcard grants access to all authenticated AWS users and anonymous users, which is a common misconfiguration leading to data breaches. The correct approach is to specify a specific IAM role ARN (e.g., "AWS": "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/MyRole") or a set of IAM users. Additionally, S3 bucket policies are evaluated in conjunction with IAM user policies; a bucket policy with a wildcard principal overrides any IAM restrictions, making it especially dangerous.
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.
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — This question tests Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Restrict the principal to specific IAM roles or users. — The bucket policy grants access to any principal ("Principal": "*"), meaning any AWS user or anonymous user can perform the allowed actions on the bucket. For a bucket storing sensitive customer data, this is a critical security risk. Restricting the principal to specific IAM roles or users (Option D) ensures only authorized identities can access the bucket, aligning with the principle of least privilege.
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.
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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