The correct answer is that the policy denies access if the request does not use HTTPS. This is because the S3 bucket policy uses a Deny effect paired with the aws:SecureTransport condition set to false, which explicitly blocks any request made over plain HTTP while allowing only encrypted HTTPS traffic. On the Certified Cloud Security Professional CCSP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to enforce encryption in transit using bucket policies, a key control for protecting sensitive data in cloud storage. A common trap is confusing this with a condition that allows HTTP; remember that setting SecureTransport to false triggers the Deny, so the policy acts as a gate that rejects unencrypted requests. For a quick memory tip, think of it as “Deny when not secure”—if the transport isn’t secure (HTTPS), access is denied.
CCSP Cloud Data Security Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud data 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Denies access if the request does not use HTTPS
The bucket policy uses a `Deny` effect with a condition `aws:SecureTransport` set to `false`, which means any request that does not use HTTPS (i.e., plain HTTP) is denied. This enforces encryption in transit for all access to the S3 bucket, ensuring sensitive data is not transmitted over an unencrypted channel. Option C correctly identifies that the policy denies access if the request does not use HTTPS.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Denies access if the request uses HTTPS
Why it's wrong here
It denies when SecureTransport is false, i.e., HTTP.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between `Deny` and `Allow` effects in S3 bucket policies, and the trap here is that candidates misread the condition as denying HTTPS instead of denying non-HTTPS, or they assume the policy grants public access because they overlook the absence of an `Allow` statement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `aws:SecureTransport` condition key evaluates the `True` or `False` value of whether the request was sent over SSL/TLS. This policy uses a `Deny` effect with `StringNotEquals` (or implicitly `Bool` if `false`), which is a common pattern to enforce HTTPS-only access. In real-world scenarios, this is often combined with an `Allow` statement for specific principals or actions to avoid accidentally blocking all traffic, but as a standalone policy it only denies non-HTTPS requests while implicitly allowing HTTPS requests (if no other explicit deny exists).
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 Data Security — This question tests Cloud Data Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Denies access if the request does not use HTTPS — The bucket policy uses a `Deny` effect with a condition `aws:SecureTransport` set to `false`, which means any request that does not use HTTPS (i.e., plain HTTP) is denied. This enforces encryption in transit for all access to the S3 bucket, ensuring sensitive data is not transmitted over an unencrypted channel. Option C correctly identifies that the policy denies access if the request does not use HTTPS.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A security engineer applies the above bucket policy to an S3 bucket containing sensitive data. Which of the following best describes the effect of this policy?
hard
A.It allows all access to the bucket.
B.It denies access to objects over HTTPS, but allows HTTP.
✓ C.It denies access to objects over HTTP, but allows HTTPS.
D.It denies all access to the bucket.
Why C: The bucket policy uses a `Deny` effect with a `Condition` block that checks `aws:SecureTransport` equals `false`. This condition denies access when the request is made over HTTP (non-secure transport), effectively blocking HTTP requests while allowing HTTPS requests. The policy does not affect HTTPS requests because the condition only triggers when `SecureTransport` is false.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
Question Discussion
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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.
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