The answer is the BackupAdmin role has delete access to the entire bucket, which could lead to data loss if misused or compromised. This is the most significant security concern because the policy grants full administrative control—including s3:DeleteObject—without any compensating controls like MFA or versioning protection, meaning a single compromised credential or accidental command could destroy all data in the bucket. On the CISSP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the principle of least privilege and the separation of duties within cloud storage policies, often appearing as a trap where test-takers focus on public access or IP restrictions instead of the far more dangerous over-provisioned delete permission. A common memory tip is to always check for delete actions first when reviewing any backup role policy, because backup should be read-only or write-only, never destructive.
CISSP Asset Security Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of asset security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer is reviewing the S3 bucket policy. The BackupAdmin role is intended to perform backups and restores of the entire bucket. What is the MOST significant security concern with this policy?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The BackupAdmin role has delete access to the entire bucket, which could lead to data loss if misused or compromised
Option D is correct because the BackupAdmin role already has full access to the entire bucket, including deletion. This is dangerous as it allows accidental or malicious destruction of all data without additional controls. Option A is wrong because the public access is restricted to a specific IP range and folder, which is relatively safe. Option B is wrong because while separation of duty is weak, it is not the most significant issue. Option C is wrong because the role can access internal data but the policy does not specify read-only; however, the role needs those permissions to back up.
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 BackupAdmin role has delete access to the entire bucket, which could lead to data loss if misused or compromised
Why this is correct
Delete access on the entire bucket is a significant risk for data destruction.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The BackupAdmin role has both read and write access to the internal data, which could allow unauthorized modifications
Why it's wrong here
While broad, backup roles typically require such permissions to perform restores, and the risk is somewhat mitigated by logging.
✗
The public access to the 'public/' folder is not limited to authenticated users
Why it's wrong here
Access is restricted by IP address, which is a valid control for anonymous access.
✗
The DataAnalyst role can see the public folder contents, violating separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
The DataAnalyst role only has access to the 'internal/' folder, not the public one.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CISSP question in full detail.
Identify which CISSP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Asset Security — This question tests Asset Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The BackupAdmin role has delete access to the entire bucket, which could lead to data loss if misused or compromised — Option D is correct because the BackupAdmin role already has full access to the entire bucket, including deletion. This is dangerous as it allows accidental or malicious destruction of all data without additional controls. Option A is wrong because the public access is restricted to a specific IP range and folder, which is relatively safe. Option B is wrong because while separation of duty is weak, it is not the most significant issue. Option C is wrong because the role can access internal data but the policy does not specify read-only; however, the role needs those permissions to back up.
What should I do if I get this CISSP question wrong?
Identify which CISSP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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