- A
AWS Config with managed rules and automatic remediation
AWS Config provides managed rules to evaluate resource configurations against best practices. It can automatically remediate noncompliant resources by invoking Systems Manager Automation documents. It also sends notifications via Amazon SNS for compliance changes, fully meeting the requirement.
- B
AWS Security Hub
Why wrong: AWS Security Hub aggregates security findings from multiple services (including AWS Config) and provides a consolidated view, but it does not directly evaluate resource configurations or automatically remediate noncompliant resources. It lacks the automated remediation and continuous evaluation capability required.
- C
AWS IAM Access Analyzer
Why wrong: AWS IAM Access Analyzer helps identify resources in your account that are shared with an external entity, but it does not evaluate server-side encryption settings or public access configurations on S3 buckets, nor does it offer automatic remediation.
- D
Amazon Macie
Why wrong: Amazon Macie is a fully managed data security service that uses machine learning to discover, classify, and protect sensitive data stored in Amazon S3. It does not enforce encryption or public access policies, nor does it provide automatic remediation of bucket configurations.
Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Config with managed rules and automatic remediation. This service continuously evaluates S3 buckets for encryption and public access compliance by using prebuilt managed rules like s3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled and s3-bucket-public-read-prohibited, and when it detects a noncompliant bucket, it triggers an SSM Automation document to automatically enable SSE and block public access without manual intervention. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of how AWS Config provides both continuous evaluation and automated remediation, often contrasting it with services like AWS Trusted Advisor (which only checks compliance without fixing issues) or Amazon Inspector (which focuses on vulnerabilities, not S3 policies). A common trap is confusing AWS Config’s detective and corrective capabilities with simpler monitoring tools. Remember the memory tip: “Config checks and corrects” — it both sees the violation and fixes it, all while sending SNS notifications for compliance changes.
CLF-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 company has a compliance requirement that all Amazon S3 buckets must have server-side encryption (SSE) enabled and must block all public access. The company has hundreds of existing S3 buckets and creates new ones regularly. The security team needs a centralized AWS service that can continuously evaluate all buckets against these two rules, automatically detect noncompliant buckets, and then automatically remediate them by enabling SSE and blocking public access. Additionally, the team wants to receive notifications when compliance changes occur. Which AWS service should the security team use?
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
AWS Config with managed rules and automatic remediation
AWS Config with managed rules such as 's3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled' and 's3-bucket-public-read-prohibited' can continuously evaluate all S3 buckets against these compliance requirements. When a noncompliant bucket is detected, AWS Config can automatically remediate it using SSM Automation documents (e.g., enabling SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS and applying bucket policies to block public access). Additionally, AWS Config can send notifications via Amazon SNS when compliance changes occur, meeting all stated requirements.
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.
- ✓
AWS Config with managed rules and automatic remediation
Why this is correct
AWS Config provides managed rules to evaluate resource configurations against best practices. It can automatically remediate noncompliant resources by invoking Systems Manager Automation documents. It also sends notifications via Amazon SNS for compliance changes, fully meeting the requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Security Hub
Why it's wrong here
AWS Security Hub aggregates security findings from multiple services (including AWS Config) and provides a consolidated view, but it does not directly evaluate resource configurations or automatically remediate noncompliant resources. It lacks the automated remediation and continuous evaluation capability required.
- ✗
AWS IAM Access Analyzer
Why it's wrong here
AWS IAM Access Analyzer helps identify resources in your account that are shared with an external entity, but it does not evaluate server-side encryption settings or public access configurations on S3 buckets, nor does it offer automatic remediation.
- ✗
Amazon Macie
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Macie is a fully managed data security service that uses machine learning to discover, classify, and protect sensitive data stored in Amazon S3. It does not enforce encryption or public access policies, nor does it provide automatic remediation of bucket configurations.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Security Hub's aggregation and visibility capabilities with the ability to perform automatic remediation, but Security Hub does not natively remediate resources; it relies on AWS Config rules or other services for that functionality.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Config managed rules for S3 buckets evaluate resource configurations against desired states, and when combined with automatic remediation via AWS Systems Manager Automation documents (e.g., AWS-EnableS3BucketEncryption and AWS-DisableS3BucketPublicAccess), they can enforce compliance without manual intervention. Under the hood, AWS Config records configuration changes as configuration items (CIs) in a timeline, and remediation actions are triggered by compliance state changes using AWS Config rules with an 'automatic' remediation action that invokes an SSM Automation document. A real-world scenario is a financial services company that must maintain encryption at rest and block public access for all S3 buckets; AWS Config ensures that any newly created bucket is automatically evaluated and remediated within minutes, and the security team receives SNS notifications for compliance drifts.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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.
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Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Config with managed rules and automatic remediation — AWS Config with managed rules such as 's3-bucket-server-side-encryption-enabled' and 's3-bucket-public-read-prohibited' can continuously evaluate all S3 buckets against these compliance requirements. When a noncompliant bucket is detected, AWS Config can automatically remediate it using SSM Automation documents (e.g., enabling SSE-S3 or SSE-KMS and applying bucket policies to block public access). Additionally, AWS Config can send notifications via Amazon SNS when compliance changes occur, meeting all stated requirements.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services 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 CLF-C02 exam.
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