CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud platform and infrastructure security. 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 small business recently migrated its file server to a cloud storage service like Amazon S3. They use bucket policies to control access. The IT manager, who is not a security expert, configured the bucket policy to allow all users within the company's AWS account to have read and write access. During an internal audit, it was discovered that the bucket also had a public ACL that allowed 'Everyone' to read objects. The security analyst needs to fix the misconfiguration and prevent future occurrences. Which of the following actions should the analyst take first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Remove the public ACL and update the bucket policy to enforce least privilege.
Option C is correct because the immediate priority is to remediate the active vulnerability by removing the public ACL that grants 'Everyone' read access, then updating the bucket policy to enforce least privilege for the company's AWS account. This directly addresses the misconfiguration and aligns with the principle of denying public access by default, which is a core security best practice for cloud storage services like Amazon S3.
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.
✗
Delete the bucket and recreate it with default private settings.
Why it's wrong here
Drastic and may cause downtime; same effect can be achieved with policy changes.
✗
Set up a notification to alert when bucket policies change.
Why it's wrong here
Notification is detective, not corrective.
✓
Remove the public ACL and update the bucket policy to enforce least privilege.
Why this is correct
Directly fixes the public exposure and tightens access.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable bucket versioning to recover from accidental public exposure.
Why it's wrong here
Versioning does not prevent or fix public access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the misconception that deleting and recreating a resource is the safest or quickest fix, when in reality the proper remediation is to modify the existing access controls without destroying the resource.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Amazon S3 access control is evaluated using a combination of bucket policies, ACLs, and user policies, with the most permissive access being granted unless explicitly blocked by a deny statement. In this scenario, the bucket policy allows read/write to the AWS account, but the public ACL overrides that by granting 'Everyone' read access, making objects publicly readable. The correct fix involves removing the public ACL and then using a bucket policy with a condition that explicitly denies public access (e.g., using `NotPrincipal` or `aws:SourceIp`) to enforce least privilege, which is a common pattern in S3 security hardening.
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 team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
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 Platform and Infrastructure Security — This question tests Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Remove the public ACL and update the bucket policy to enforce least privilege. — Option C is correct because the immediate priority is to remediate the active vulnerability by removing the public ACL that grants 'Everyone' read access, then updating the bucket policy to enforce least privilege for the company's AWS account. This directly addresses the misconfiguration and aligns with the principle of denying public access by default, which is a core security best practice for cloud storage services like Amazon S3.
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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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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