Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A healthcare company is subject to HIPAA regulations and must record all AWS API calls made in its account for auditing. The logs must be retained for 7 years and must be protected from any modification or deletion, including by the account root user. Which combination of AWS services should the company use to meet these requirements?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
AWS CloudTrail with log file validation enabled, and store the log files in an Amazon S3 bucket with S3 Object Lock enabled in compliance mode
This option is correct. CloudTrail records API calls, and log file validation provides integrity. S3 Object Lock in compliance mode prevents any user, including the root user, from deleting or modifying the log files for the retention period, satisfying the tamper-proof retention requirement.
B
Distractor review
AWS Config with a HIPAA conformance pack, and store the configuration history in an Amazon S3 bucket with versioning enabled
AWS Config tracks resource configuration changes, not API calls. While versioning helps protect against accidental overwrites, it does not prevent intentional deletion by authorized users. S3 Object Lock is required for strict write-once-read-many (WORM) compliance. Additionally, the HIPAA conformance pack is for evaluating configurations against HIPAA rules, not for recording API calls.
C
Distractor review
Amazon GuardDuty with findings exported to an Amazon S3 bucket, and enable MFA Delete on the bucket
GuardDuty is a threat detection service that identifies suspicious activity; it does not record all API calls. MFA Delete requires multi-factor authentication to delete objects but does not block deletion by the root user who holds the MFA device. It is not sufficient for a strict 7-year retention requirement.
D
Distractor review
AWS CloudTrail with log file validation enabled, and store the log files in an Amazon S3 bucket with MFA Delete enabled
While CloudTrail with log file validation is correct for recording API calls and ensuring integrity, MFA Delete does not provide the same level of protection as S3 Object Lock in compliance mode. The root user can still delete objects because they own the MFA device. S3 Object Lock in compliance mode is the only option that prevents any user (including root) from deleting objects.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A developer needs to launch a test server for a new application prototype. The developer logs into the AWS Management Console, selects an Amazon EC2 instance type, configures the security group, and starts the instance. The instance is running within two minutes, and the developer did not need to submit a formal request to the company's IT procurement team or wait for approval from a cloud administrator. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this scenario best demonstrate?
Question 2
A solutions architect is planning a new web application on AWS. The workload will include 3 Amazon EC2 instances (t3.medium) running 24/7, an Application Load Balancer, and an Amazon RDS for MySQL db.t3.small database. The architect needs to estimate the monthly cost for the first year, considering different purchasing options (On-Demand, 1-year All Upfront Reserved Instance, and Compute Savings Plan). Which AWS tool should the architect use to create this estimate?
Question 3
A company's development team frequently needs temporary test environments. A developer can log into the AWS Management Console, select an Amazon EC2 instance type, configure storage, and launch the instance within minutes without any interaction with the IT infrastructure team. This capability is an example of which essential characteristic of cloud computing?
Question 4
A company's finance team needs to analyze AWS spending in detail. They require a report that includes hourly cost data for each AWS service, each individual resource (e.g., a specific EC2 instance), and any cost allocation tags applied. The team plans to export this data to an Amazon S3 bucket and then import it into a custom business intelligence (BI) analytics dashboard. Which AWS tool should the finance team use to generate this level of detailed cost data?
Question 5
A company uses AWS for its development environment. The finance team wants to set a monthly budget of $10,000. They want to receive an email notification when the actual costs reach 80% of the budget ($8,000) and again when costs exceed the budget. The team needs a managed AWS service that can automatically send these alerts without requiring custom code or third-party tools. Which AWS service should the team use?
Question 6
A company uses AWS Organizations to manage multiple accounts. The security team needs to enforce a policy that restricts SSH access (port 22) from the internet (0.0.0.0/0) in all VPCs across all accounts. The team wants to centrally define the allowed rules and automatically apply them to newly created VPCs and security groups, while also automatically remediating any existing non-compliant security groups. Which AWS service should the team use?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS CloudTrail with log file validation enabled, and store the log files in an Amazon S3 bucket with S3 Object Lock enabled in compliance mode — To meet both the auditing and retention requirements, the company needs AWS CloudTrail to record API calls and an S3 bucket protected by S3 Object Lock in compliance mode. CloudTrail log file validation ensures the integrity of the log files by using digital signatures. S3 Object Lock in compliance mode prevents any user, including the root user, from deleting or overwriting the objects for the specified retention period. This combination provides a tamper-proof audit trail.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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