The correct answer is that the second Allow statement lacks the IP restriction, permitting any IP to read objects. This occurs because AWS IAM policy evaluation allows multiple statements to apply, and an explicit Allow without a condition—such as the missing aws:SourceIp—overrides any restrictive conditions in other statements, even when those conditions are intended to limit access. On the Certified Cloud Security Professional CCSP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of IAM policy evaluation logic and the common misconfiguration where an iam policy allow override ip restriction s3 leads to unintended public access. The trap is assuming that a deny or condition in one statement automatically blocks all actions; instead, remember that any unconditional Allow grants the permission. A useful memory tip: “An Allow without a condition is a key that opens every door.”
CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud platform and infrastructure security. 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.
A cloud security engineer reviews the IAM policy shown in the exhibit, which is attached to an S3 bucket. The engineer finds that users from outside the 10.0.0.0/8 network can still download objects from the bucket. What is the most likely reason for this behavior?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The second Allow statement does not include the IP restriction, allowing any IP to read objects
Option C is correct because the second Allow statement in the IAM policy grants s3:GetObject access to all principals without any condition, effectively overriding the IP restriction in the first statement. AWS IAM policy evaluation is explicit deny by default, but when multiple statements apply, an Allow without conditions will permit the action even if another statement restricts it. Since the second statement has no aws:SourceIp condition, any IP address, including those outside 10.0.0.0/8, can download objects.
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 condition key 'aws:SourceIp' does not apply to S3 operations
Why it's wrong here
It does apply; the issue is the second statement.
✗
The first statement's condition explicitly denies access to IPs outside 10.0.0.0/8
Why it's wrong here
The condition restricts the Allow, but does not create a Deny.
✓
The second Allow statement does not include the IP restriction, allowing any IP to read objects
Why this is correct
The policy grants unrestricted GetObject access via the second statement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The policy document has a syntax error that causes the first statement to be ignored
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the nuance that an unconditional Allow statement can override a conditional Deny statement in IAM policies, leading candidates to incorrectly assume that the Deny with an IP restriction will block all access from outside the specified range.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS IAM policy evaluation follows a default-deny model where an explicit deny always overrides an allow, but when multiple statements apply, an explicit allow for a specific action (like s3:GetObject) will permit the action if no explicit deny applies to that same action from the same principal. In this case, the Deny statement only denies access to IPs outside 10.0.0.0/8 for s3:GetObject, but the second Allow statement grants s3:GetObject to all principals without any condition, creating a conflict that AWS resolves by allowing the action because the Deny is conditional and the Allow is unconditional. This is a common misconfiguration where administrators assume a Deny with a condition will block all other allows, but AWS evaluates each statement independently and the unconditional Allow prevails.
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 developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
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: The second Allow statement does not include the IP restriction, allowing any IP to read objects — Option C is correct because the second Allow statement in the IAM policy grants s3:GetObject access to all principals without any condition, effectively overriding the IP restriction in the first statement. AWS IAM policy evaluation is explicit deny by default, but when multiple statements apply, an Allow without conditions will permit the action even if another statement restricts it. Since the second statement has no aws:SourceIp condition, any IP address, including those outside 10.0.0.0/8, can download objects.
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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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