- A
AWS ensuring the physical data center is protected from unauthorized entry
Why wrong: Physical data center security is AWS's responsibility — customers have no physical access to AWS facilities.
- B
A customer configuring security groups to restrict unnecessary inbound traffic to EC2 instances
Security group configuration is the customer's responsibility — AWS provides the security group mechanism, but configuring appropriate rules is the customer's job.
- C
AWS patching the underlying hypervisor on EC2 hosts
Why wrong: Hypervisor patching is AWS's responsibility — customers don't have access to the hypervisor layer.
- D
AWS ensuring S3 storage hardware is replaced when it fails
Why wrong: Hardware maintenance and replacement is AWS's responsibility — S3's 11-nine durability is achieved through AWS's hardware management.
Quick Answer
The answer is configuring security groups to restrict unnecessary inbound traffic to EC2 instances. This is correct because security groups act as a virtual firewall at the instance level, and under the AWS shared responsibility model customer responsibility includes all access controls within the virtual network, such as defining inbound and outbound rules. AWS manages the physical network infrastructure and hypervisor, but it does not configure customer-specific traffic policies. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between security of the cloud (AWS’s job) and security in the cloud (your job). A common trap is assuming AWS handles all network security, but remember: if it’s a configuration you set on a resource you launched, it’s your responsibility. A helpful memory tip is “You guard the gate” — security groups are your gate, AWS builds the fence.
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. 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.
Under the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, which scenario correctly demonstrates the customer's responsibility?
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
A customer configuring security groups to restrict unnecessary inbound traffic to EC2 instances
Option B is correct because configuring security groups to restrict inbound traffic is a customer responsibility under the Shared Responsibility Model. Security groups act as a virtual firewall for EC2 instances, and customers must define rules to control traffic at the instance level. AWS manages the underlying network infrastructure but does not configure customer-specific access controls.
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 ensuring the physical data center is protected from unauthorized entry
Why it's wrong here
Physical data center security is AWS's responsibility — customers have no physical access to AWS facilities.
- ✓
A customer configuring security groups to restrict unnecessary inbound traffic to EC2 instances
Why this is correct
Security group configuration is the customer's responsibility — AWS provides the security group mechanism, but configuring appropriate rules is the customer's job.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS patching the underlying hypervisor on EC2 hosts
Why it's wrong here
Hypervisor patching is AWS's responsibility — customers don't have access to the hypervisor layer.
- ✗
AWS ensuring S3 storage hardware is replaced when it fails
Why it's wrong here
Hardware maintenance and replacement is AWS's responsibility — S3's 11-nine durability is achieved through AWS's hardware management.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'patching the hypervisor' (AWS responsibility) with 'patching the guest OS' (customer responsibility), leading them to incorrectly assign hypervisor patching to the customer under the Shared Responsibility Model.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Security groups are stateful firewalls that operate at the instance level, evaluating inbound and outbound traffic based on rules you define. Unlike network ACLs (stateless), security groups automatically allow return traffic for allowed inbound connections, simplifying rule management. In a real-world scenario, failing to restrict inbound SSH (port 22) or RDP (port 3389) to specific IP ranges can expose EC2 instances to brute-force attacks, highlighting why this customer-side configuration is critical.
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.
- →
Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Security and Compliance practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All CLF-C02 questions
1,024 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
CLF-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related CLF-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Cloud Concepts practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to Cloud Concepts.
Security and Compliance practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
Cloud Technology and Services practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to Cloud Technology and Services.
Billing, Pricing, and Support practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to Billing, Pricing, and Support.
AWS shared responsibility model practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS shared responsibility model.
AWS IAM practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS IAM.
AWS pricing practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS pricing.
AWS support plans practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS support plans.
AWS S3 practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS S3.
AWS EC2 practice questions
Practise CLF-C02 questions linked to AWS EC2.
Practice this exam
Start a free CLF-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: A customer configuring security groups to restrict unnecessary inbound traffic to EC2 instances — Option B is correct because configuring security groups to restrict inbound traffic is a customer responsibility under the Shared Responsibility Model. Security groups act as a virtual firewall for EC2 instances, and customers must define rules to control traffic at the instance level. AWS manages the underlying network infrastructure but does not configure customer-specific access controls.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More CLF-C02 practice questions
- A company publishes a message each time a new product is added to its catalogue. Three services need to receive this mes…
- A media company stores frequently accessed video thumbnails in Amazon S3. The thumbnails are read multiple times every d…
- A company needs a service to translate domain names (like www.example.com) into IP addresses, check the health of their…
- A startup runs an application on AWS and receives a monthly bill that charges exactly for the number of compute hours us…
- A financial institution runs its core banking application on-premises due to regulatory requirements. It has connected i…
- A company wants to run a MySQL database in AWS without managing database software installation, applying patches, settin…
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.