- A
AWS Shield Standard
Why wrong: AWS Shield Standard is free and provides basic network-layer DDoS protection for all AWS customers, but it does not offer cost protection against scaling charges, nor does it include 24/7 access to a DDoS response team (DRT) or enhanced support. The scenario requires cost protection, which is only available with AWS Shield Advanced.
- B
AWS Shield Advanced
AWS Shield Advanced provides always-on detection and automatic inline mitigation of DDoS attacks at layers 3 and 4 (and layer 7 when integrated with AWS WAF). It also includes cost protection that provides financial coverage against scaling charges (e.g., from EC2 or ELB) incurred during a DDoS attack, as well as 24/7 access to the DDoS Response Team (DRT). This matches all the specified requirements.
- C
AWS WAF
Why wrong: AWS WAF is a web application firewall that protects against layer 7 attacks (e.g., SQL injection, cross-site scripting) by inspecting HTTP/HTTPS requests. It does not provide mitigation at the network or transport layers (layer 3/4), nor does it offer cost protection against scaling charges.
- D
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: Amazon GuardDuty is a continuous threat detection service that analyzes AWS CloudTrail, VPC Flow Logs, and DNS logs to identify malicious activity. It does not automatically mitigate DDoS attacks and does not provide cost protection. It would alert on potential attacks but not block them inline.
Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Shield Advanced, which is the correct choice because it delivers always-on detection and automatic inline mitigation for layer 3 and 4 DDoS attacks like SYN floods and UDP reflection attacks, while also providing cost protection against scaling charges from attack-induced usage spikes. This directly addresses the company’s need for both network-layer defense and financial safeguards during high-traffic events like Black Friday. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish Shield Advanced from the free Shield Standard—the key differentiator is the cost protection against DDoS-related AWS usage fee increases. A common trap is choosing AWS WAF, but remember WAF handles layer 7 (application) threats, not the network and transport layers. Memory tip: think “Advanced = Always-on + Attack cost protection.”
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 runs an e-commerce website on AWS and expects a high volume of traffic during Black Friday. The security team is concerned about potential DDoS attacks overwhelming the infrastructure. The company wants a managed service that provides always-on detection and automatic inline mitigation of DDoS attacks at the network and transport layers (layer 3 and 4), as well as cost protection against scaling charges due to DDoS attacks. Which AWS service should the company use?
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
AWS Shield Advanced
AWS Shield Advanced is the correct choice because it provides always-on detection and automatic inline mitigation of DDoS attacks at layers 3 and 4 (network and transport layers), such as SYN floods and UDP reflection attacks. Additionally, it offers cost protection against scaling charges incurred due to DDoS-related usage spikes, which directly addresses the company's concern about financial impact from attack-induced scaling.
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 Shield Standard
Why it's wrong here
AWS Shield Standard is free and provides basic network-layer DDoS protection for all AWS customers, but it does not offer cost protection against scaling charges, nor does it include 24/7 access to a DDoS response team (DRT) or enhanced support. The scenario requires cost protection, which is only available with AWS Shield Advanced.
- ✓
AWS Shield Advanced
Why this is correct
AWS Shield Advanced provides always-on detection and automatic inline mitigation of DDoS attacks at layers 3 and 4 (and layer 7 when integrated with AWS WAF). It also includes cost protection that provides financial coverage against scaling charges (e.g., from EC2 or ELB) incurred during a DDoS attack, as well as 24/7 access to the DDoS Response Team (DRT). This matches all the specified requirements.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "always" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS WAF
Why it's wrong here
AWS WAF is a web application firewall that protects against layer 7 attacks (e.g., SQL injection, cross-site scripting) by inspecting HTTP/HTTPS requests. It does not provide mitigation at the network or transport layers (layer 3/4), nor does it offer cost protection against scaling charges.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
Amazon GuardDuty is a continuous threat detection service that analyzes AWS CloudTrail, VPC Flow Logs, and DNS logs to identify malicious activity. It does not automatically mitigate DDoS attacks and does not provide cost protection. It would alert on potential attacks but not block them inline.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Shield Standard (free, basic protection) with AWS Shield Advanced (paid, enhanced protection) or mistakenly think AWS WAF can mitigate network-layer DDoS attacks, when in fact WAF only handles application-layer threats.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
AWS Shield Standard is free and provides basic network-layer DDoS protection for all AWS customers, but it does not offer cost protection against scaling charges, nor does it include 24/7 access to a DDoS response team (DRT) or enhanced support. The scenario requires cost protection, which is only available with AWS Shield Advanced.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Shield Advanced uses a combination of traffic flow analysis, rate limiting, and packet filtering at the AWS edge to automatically mitigate DDoS attacks at layers 3 and 4, such as SYN floods, UDP floods, and ICMP floods. It integrates with AWS WAF for layer 7 protection and provides access to the DDoS Response Team (DRT) for complex attacks. The cost protection feature reimburses customers for scaling charges (e.g., from EC2 Auto Scaling or ALB capacity units) incurred during a verified DDoS attack, which is critical for e-commerce sites expecting high traffic during events like Black Friday.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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 Shield Advanced — AWS Shield Advanced is the correct choice because it provides always-on detection and automatic inline mitigation of DDoS attacks at layers 3 and 4 (network and transport layers), such as SYN floods and UDP reflection attacks. Additionally, it offers cost protection against scaling charges incurred due to DDoS-related usage spikes, which directly addresses the company's concern about financial impact from attack-induced scaling.
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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