- A
AWS Config with a managed rule to check for unrestricted SSH access, and Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS) to send notifications when the rule is non-compliant.
AWS Config can evaluate security group rules against a managed rule like 'restricted-ssh' (or a custom rule) and trigger an SNS notification when a resource is non-compliant. CloudTrail logs the API calls that made the change, and AWS Config can include the related CloudTrail event in its compliance history.
- B
AWS CloudTrail to log all API calls, and Amazon CloudWatch Logs to analyze the logs for security group modifications and trigger a notification.
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs API calls but does not evaluate the resulting configuration against rules. You would need additional processing (e.g., Lambda + CloudWatch Logs Insights) to check if the change resulted in a non-compliant rule, which is more complex and not a managed solution for compliance rules.
- C
AWS Trusted Advisor to check for security groups with unrestricted SSH access on a periodic basis, and Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES) to send email alerts.
Why wrong: AWS Trusted Advisor checks for best practices but runs periodically (e.g., every 24 hours), not in real time. It cannot trigger immediate notifications based on configuration changes. It also does not provide a detailed record of who made the change.
- D
AWS Systems Manager Inventory to collect configuration data from EC2 instances, and Amazon CloudWatch Events to trigger a Lambda function that checks security group rules.
Why wrong: Systems Manager Inventory collects software inventory and OS configuration from instances, not security group configurations. It cannot monitor changes to security group resources themselves. This approach is not designed for evaluating AWS resource compliance.
Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Config with a managed rule and Amazon SNS. This combination works because AWS Config continuously monitors security group changes and evaluates them against the managed `restricted-ssh` rule, which flags any inbound SSH access from 0.0.0.0/0 as non-compliant. When non-compliance is detected, AWS Config automatically triggers an Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) topic to send notifications, while the detailed change record—including the user who made the modification—is captured through AWS Config’s integration with AWS CloudTrail. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how AWS Config handles resource compliance and event-driven notifications, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly choose AWS CloudTrail alone for monitoring or AWS Lambda for remediation. A common trap is forgetting that AWS Config provides both the evaluation and the history, while SNS handles the alerting. Memory tip: think “Config checks, SNS checks in” — Config monitors the rule, SNS sends the notification.
CLF-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. A key principle to apply: aWS Config continuously monitors resource configurations.. 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 runs a multi-tier web application on Amazon EC2 instances. The security team wants to continuously monitor the configuration of the EC2 security groups to ensure that no security group allows inbound SSH (port 22) access from the entire internet (0.0.0.0/0). If a security group is modified to allow such access, the company must be automatically notified and provided with a detailed record of the change, including the user who made the change. Which combination of AWS services should the company use to meet these requirements?
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 a managed rule to check for unrestricted SSH access, and Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS) to send notifications when the rule is non-compliant.
AWS Config continuously monitors the configuration of AWS resources, including security groups, and can evaluate them against managed rules such as 'restricted-ssh' (which checks that inbound SSH traffic is not allowed from 0.0.0.0/0). When a security group becomes non-compliant, AWS Config can trigger an Amazon SNS notification to alert the security team, and the detailed configuration history (including the user who made the change via CloudTrail integration) is available in the AWS Config timeline. This combination directly meets the requirements for continuous monitoring, automatic notification, and a detailed record of the change.
Key principle: AWS Config continuously monitors resource configurations.
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 a managed rule to check for unrestricted SSH access, and Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS) to send notifications when the rule is non-compliant.
Why this is correct
AWS Config can evaluate security group rules against a managed rule like 'restricted-ssh' (or a custom rule) and trigger an SNS notification when a resource is non-compliant. CloudTrail logs the API calls that made the change, and AWS Config can include the related CloudTrail event in its compliance history.
Related concept
AWS Config continuously monitors resource configurations.
- ✗
AWS CloudTrail to log all API calls, and Amazon CloudWatch Logs to analyze the logs for security group modifications and trigger a notification.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls but does not evaluate the resulting configuration against rules. You would need additional processing (e.g., Lambda + CloudWatch Logs Insights) to check if the change resulted in a non-compliant rule, which is more complex and not a managed solution for compliance rules.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor to check for security groups with unrestricted SSH access on a periodic basis, and Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES) to send email alerts.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor checks for best practices but runs periodically (e.g., every 24 hours), not in real time. It cannot trigger immediate notifications based on configuration changes. It also does not provide a detailed record of who made the change.
- ✗
AWS Systems Manager Inventory to collect configuration data from EC2 instances, and Amazon CloudWatch Events to trigger a Lambda function that checks security group rules.
Why it's wrong here
Systems Manager Inventory collects software inventory and OS configuration from instances, not security group configurations. It cannot monitor changes to security group resources themselves. This approach is not designed for evaluating AWS resource compliance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config's continuous compliance monitoring with AWS Trusted Advisor's periodic checks or AWS CloudTrail's logging-only capability, leading them to choose options that lack real-time evaluation or detailed change attribution.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Config's managed rule 'restricted-ssh' evaluates security group rules against the condition that inbound SSH (port 22) is not allowed from 0.0.0.0/0; it uses the 'sourceIp' field in the security group rule to check for the exact CIDR. When a rule becomes non-compliant, AWS Config can publish a configuration item change to an SNS topic, and the detailed change record includes the 'userIdentity' field from CloudTrail, which captures the IAM user or role that made the modification. In a real-world scenario, this allows security teams to automatically revoke the rule or trigger a remediation via AWS Systems Manager Automation, ensuring rapid response to misconfigurations.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- AWS Config continuously monitors resource configurations.
- AWS Config uses managed or custom rules for compliance evaluation.
- AWS Config can integrate with SNS for notifications on non-compliance.
- AWS Config provides configuration history and links to CloudTrail events for change details.
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
AWS Config continuously monitors resource configurations.
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.
Review aWS Config continuously monitors resource configurations., then practise related CLF-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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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 — AWS Config continuously monitors resource configurations..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Config with a managed rule to check for unrestricted SSH access, and Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS) to send notifications when the rule is non-compliant. — AWS Config continuously monitors the configuration of AWS resources, including security groups, and can evaluate them against managed rules such as 'restricted-ssh' (which checks that inbound SSH traffic is not allowed from 0.0.0.0/0). When a security group becomes non-compliant, AWS Config can trigger an Amazon SNS notification to alert the security team, and the detailed configuration history (including the user who made the change via CloudTrail integration) is available in the AWS Config timeline. This combination directly meets the requirements for continuous monitoring, automatic notification, and a detailed record of the change.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Review aWS Config continuously monitors resource configurations., then practise related CLF-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
AWS Config continuously monitors resource configurations.
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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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