hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CCSP Practice Question: A developer receives the above error when trying…
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Error: Failed to create resource. Status: 403 Forbidden.
{
"Code": "AccessDenied",
"Message": "Access denied. Please ensure that the key policy grants the necessary permissions.",
"Resource": "arn:aws:kms:us-east-1:123456789012:key/abc123"
}A developer receives the above error when trying to encrypt an object using a customer-managed KMS key. What is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between key policies and IAM policies, trapping candidates who assume IAM permissions alone are sufficient for KMS operations.
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 KMS key policy does not grant encrypt permission to the user
The error indicates the user lacks permission to encrypt with the specified KMS key. Since the key is customer-managed, its key policy must explicitly grant the `kms:Encrypt` action to the user or role. Without this permission, AWS KMS denies the request, even if the user has other IAM permissions.
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 KMS key policy does not grant encrypt permission to the user
Why this is correct
Key policy controls who can use the key.
- ✗
The S3 bucket policy denies KMS actions
Why it's wrong here
S3 bucket policy does not affect KMS API calls directly.
- ✗
The user is not in the same region as the key
Why it's wrong here
Region mismatch would give different error.
- ✗
The KMS key is disabled
Why it's wrong here
Error message does not mention disabled key.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.