This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud security operations. 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 second statement allows unrestricted public read access to all objects
Option B is correct because the second statement in the S3 bucket policy uses `"Effect": "Allow"` with `"Principal": "*"` and `"Action": "s3:GetObject"` without any condition restricting access (e.g., `IpAddress` or `Referer`). This effectively grants anonymous, unauthenticated read access to every object in the bucket, which is a critical data exposure risk. Such a policy violates the principle of least privilege and should be remediated immediately by removing the statement or adding a condition to restrict access.
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 principal "*" grants access to all AWS services
Why it's wrong here
Principal "*" includes all users and services, but the condition restricts IP; the main concern is the unrestricted second statement.
✓
The second statement allows unrestricted public read access to all objects
Why this is correct
The second statement has no condition, so it grants s3:GetObject to anyone, overriding the IP restriction.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The policy version is outdated and should be updated
Why it's wrong here
Version 2012-10-17 is the current version for S3 bucket policies.
✗
The resource ARN does not include the bucket itself, only objects
Why it's wrong here
The resource ARN with /* covers all objects; including the bucket is optional for object-level actions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the misconception that `"Principal": "*"` only applies to AWS services, when in fact it grants access to all principals including anonymous users, and candidates may overlook the missing condition that would otherwise restrict access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, S3 bucket policies are evaluated by AWS IAM using a deny-by-default model; the second statement explicitly allows `s3:GetObject` for any principal, bypassing any bucket-level block public access settings if those settings are not enabled. In a real-world scenario, a misconfigured policy like this could lead to a data breach where sensitive files (e.g., customer PII, backups) are publicly downloadable, as seen in numerous AWS security incidents. The subtle behavior is that even if the bucket has 'Block all public access' enabled, the policy itself still exists and could become effective if those blocks are later removed, making it a latent risk.
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 analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
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 Security Operations — This question tests Cloud Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The second statement allows unrestricted public read access to all objects — Option B is correct because the second statement in the S3 bucket policy uses `"Effect": "Allow"` with `"Principal": "*"` and `"Action": "s3:GetObject"` without any condition restricting access (e.g., `IpAddress` or `Referer`). This effectively grants anonymous, unauthenticated read access to every object in the bucket, which is a critical data exposure risk. Such a policy violates the principle of least privilege and should be remediated immediately by removing the statement or adding a condition to restrict access.
What should I do if I get this CCSP 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: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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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