CCSP Cloud Application Security Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
{
"Policy": {
"PolicyName": "S3ReadOnlyAccess",
"PolicyId": "ANPAY6TVEXAMPLE",
"Arn": "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:policy/S3ReadOnlyAccess",
"Path": "/",
"DefaultVersionId": "v3",
"AttachmentCount": 0,
"PermissionsBoundaryUsageCount": 0,
"IsAttachable": true,
"CreateDate": "2021-01-01T12:00:00Z",
"UpdateDate": "2021-06-01T12:00:00Z"
}
}
```An IAM policy named S3ReadOnlyAccess has DefaultVersionId v3. What does this indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that DefaultVersionId indicates the total number of versions or that a policy with a non-v1 default is somehow broken or unattachable, when in fact it simply shows which version is active.
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 policy is currently using version v3 as the default.
The DefaultVersionId of an IAM policy indicates which version is currently active and enforced when the policy is attached to an IAM user, group, or role. Since the policy is named S3ReadOnlyAccess and has DefaultVersionId v3, version v3 is the default and is being used for access control decisions. This is the standard behavior for IAM policies in AWS, where you can have multiple versions but only one is designated as the default.
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 policy is newly created.
Why it's wrong here
DefaultVersionId v3 means v3 is the version applied when the policy is attached; it says nothing about creation date, and a policy can be old while its default version is recent. It is tempting because version numbers suggest recency, and a v1 default would indeed indicate the original policy has never been updated.
- ✓
The policy is currently using version v3 as the default.
Why this is correct
DefaultVersionId identifies which of the policy's stored versions is currently applied to attached principals. v3 being the default means that document governs permissions; earlier versions remain retrievable but inactive, so the effective policy is version three.
- ✗
The policy has three custom versions.
Why it's wrong here
DefaultVersionId v3 means v3 is the version currently applied when the policy is attached; it does not mean three custom versions exist. AWS retains up to five versions, and v3 could be the third revision of a single policy. The count of custom versions is a separate attribute, not conveyed by the default version identifier.
- ✗
The policy cannot be attached to any entity.
Why it's wrong here
A policy with a DefaultVersionId is fully attachable to users, groups, and roles; the identifier simply marks which version is active. Nothing about versioning restricts attachment. This option confuses versioning metadata with permissions boundaries or resource policies, which are the constructs that actually limit where a policy can be applied.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
About these practice questions
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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.