- A
Physical security of the data center
Why wrong: Physical security is always AWS's responsibility — customers have no physical access to AWS data centers.
- B
Patching the underlying hypervisor
Why wrong: Hypervisor patching is AWS's responsibility for all compute services — customers never have access to or responsibility for the virtualization layer.
- C
Customer data and its classification
Customer data ownership and responsibility never transfers to AWS — the customer always decides what data to store, how to classify it, who can access it, and whether to encrypt it.
- D
Network infrastructure management
Why wrong: Physical network infrastructure is AWS's responsibility — customers manage virtual network configuration (VPCs, subnets, security groups) but not the underlying physical network.
Quick Answer
The answer is customer data and its classification. This is correct because under the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, AWS secures the cloud infrastructure, while the customer secures everything they put into it—meaning you always retain full ownership and control over your data, including how it is classified, encrypted, stored, and accessed. AWS never touches or assumes responsibility for the content or classification of your data, as that is entirely your domain. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of the model’s fundamental boundary: no matter which service you use, data governance remains your job. A common trap is confusing data encryption (which AWS may help enable) with data classification (which only you can decide). For a quick memory tip, remember: “You own your data, AWS owns the hardware.”
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.
According to the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, for which of the following is the customer ALWAYS responsible, regardless of the AWS service used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"always"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
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
Customer data and its classification
Under the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, the customer is always responsible for customer data and its classification, regardless of the service used. This includes deciding what data to store, how it is encrypted, and how access controls are configured. AWS never assumes responsibility for the content or classification of customer data, as this is entirely under the customer's control.
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.
- ✗
Physical security of the data center
Why it's wrong here
Physical security is always AWS's responsibility — customers have no physical access to AWS data centers.
- ✗
Patching the underlying hypervisor
Why it's wrong here
Hypervisor patching is AWS's responsibility for all compute services — customers never have access to or responsibility for the virtualization layer.
- ✓
Customer data and its classification
Why this is correct
Customer data ownership and responsibility never transfers to AWS — the customer always decides what data to store, how to classify it, who can access it, and whether to encrypt it.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "always" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Network infrastructure management
Why it's wrong here
Physical network infrastructure is AWS's responsibility — customers manage virtual network configuration (VPCs, subnets, security groups) but not the underlying physical network.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse operational responsibilities (like patching or network management) with customer-owned data governance, leading them to select options that AWS actually manages under the 'Security of the Cloud' pillar.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Shared Responsibility Model is defined in AWS documentation and is foundational for compliance certifications like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS. Customer data classification directly impacts encryption requirements (e.g., using AWS KMS with envelope encryption) and access policies (e.g., IAM policies with condition keys for data sensitivity). A real-world scenario: a healthcare customer using Amazon S3 must classify Protected Health Information (PHI) and apply appropriate encryption and access controls, while AWS ensures the underlying S3 infrastructure is secure.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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
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CLF-C02 practice test guide
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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: Customer data and its classification — Under the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, the customer is always responsible for customer data and its classification, regardless of the service used. This includes deciding what data to store, how it is encrypted, and how access controls are configured. AWS never assumes responsibility for the content or classification of customer data, as this is entirely under the customer's control.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "always". Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
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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