- A
Enable AWS CloudTrail in each account individually and configure the S3 bucket to allow cross-account access from the audit account.
Why wrong: This approach requires manual effort to set up CloudTrail in every account and does not automatically include newly created accounts. It is not the most efficient solution for a multi-account organization.
- B
Create an AWS CloudTrail organization trail that logs events for all accounts in the organization.
An organization trail is a single trail that logs API activity for all current and future member accounts in AWS Organizations, automatically delivering logs to a centralized S3 bucket. This meets the requirements with minimal ongoing manual effort.
- C
Use AWS Config to record API calls and deliver configuration history to an S3 bucket.
Why wrong: AWS Config records resource configuration changes and histories, not API calls. It is not designed to capture all API activity for auditing purposes.
- D
Set up Amazon GuardDuty to monitor API activity and send findings to a centralized S3 bucket.
Why wrong: Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that analyzes AWS logs and network traffic for malicious activity. It does not provide a complete record of all API calls for auditing.
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.
A company uses AWS Organizations to manage multiple AWS accounts. The security team must ensure that all API activity across all accounts, including any new accounts added in the future, is recorded and delivered to a centralized S3 bucket for auditing. The solution should require minimal ongoing manual effort. Which AWS feature should the security team use?
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
Create an AWS CloudTrail organization trail that logs events for all accounts in the organization.
Option B is correct because AWS CloudTrail organization trails automatically log events for all accounts in an AWS Organization, including any new accounts added in the future, and deliver them to a single S3 bucket without requiring per-account configuration. This satisfies the requirement for minimal ongoing manual effort and centralized auditing.
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.
- ✗
Enable AWS CloudTrail in each account individually and configure the S3 bucket to allow cross-account access from the audit account.
Why it's wrong here
This approach requires manual effort to set up CloudTrail in every account and does not automatically include newly created accounts. It is not the most efficient solution for a multi-account organization.
When this WOULD be correct
If the company does not use AWS Organizations or needs to enable CloudTrail only for a subset of accounts that are not part of an organization, enabling per-account trails with cross-account S3 access would be appropriate.
- ✓
Create an AWS CloudTrail organization trail that logs events for all accounts in the organization.
Why this is correct
An organization trail is a single trail that logs API activity for all current and future member accounts in AWS Organizations, automatically delivering logs to a centralized S3 bucket. This meets the requirements with minimal ongoing manual effort.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS Config to record API calls and deliver configuration history to an S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config records resource configuration changes and histories, not API calls. It is not designed to capture all API activity for auditing purposes.
When this WOULD be correct
A question asks: 'A company needs to track configuration changes to AWS resources across multiple accounts and automatically remediate noncompliant resources. Which service should be used?' In that case, AWS Config with multi-account aggregation would be correct.
- ✗
Set up Amazon GuardDuty to monitor API activity and send findings to a centralized S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that analyzes AWS logs and network traffic for malicious activity. It does not provide a complete record of all API calls for auditing.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to detect and alert on suspicious API activity across multiple accounts, with findings centralized in an S3 bucket for analysis. GuardDuty would be the correct choice for threat detection, not for comprehensive audit logging.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The CLF-C02 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Create an AWS CloudTrail organization trail that logs events for all accounts in the organization.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
An organization trail is a single trail that logs API activity for all current and future member accounts in AWS Organizations, automatically delivering logs to a centralized S3 bucket. This meets the requirements with minimal ongoing manual effort.
✗Enable AWS CloudTrail in each account individually and configure the S3 bucket to allow cross-account access from the audit account.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option requires manual effort to enable CloudTrail in each account individually and does not automatically include new accounts added in the future, violating the 'minimal ongoing manual effort' requirement.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the company does not use AWS Organizations or needs to enable CloudTrail only for a subset of accounts that are not part of an organization, enabling per-account trails with cross-account S3 access would be appropriate.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that enabling CloudTrail per account and configuring cross-account access is a straightforward way to centralize logs, overlooking the automation benefits of an organization trail.
✗Use AWS Config to record API calls and deliver configuration history to an S3 bucket.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
AWS Config records resource configuration changes, not API activity. It does not capture all API calls like CloudTrail, and it cannot guarantee delivery of all API events to a centralized S3 bucket for auditing.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question asks: 'A company needs to track configuration changes to AWS resources across multiple accounts and automatically remediate noncompliant resources. Which service should be used?' In that case, AWS Config with multi-account aggregation would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse AWS Config's ability to record configuration history with CloudTrail's API logging, or think Config can capture API calls because it integrates with CloudTrail for some features.
✗Set up Amazon GuardDuty to monitor API activity and send findings to a centralized S3 bucket.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that monitors for malicious activity, not a service for recording all API activity for auditing. It does not deliver a complete log of all API calls to an S3 bucket.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to detect and alert on suspicious API activity across multiple accounts, with findings centralized in an S3 bucket for analysis. GuardDuty would be the correct choice for threat detection, not for comprehensive audit logging.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse GuardDuty's monitoring capabilities with CloudTrail's logging, or think that 'monitor API activity' implies recording all API calls, when GuardDuty only analyzes for threats.
Analysis generated from the official CLF-C02blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse AWS Config (which records configuration history) with CloudTrail (which records API activity), or assume that individual account trails with cross-account access are simpler, overlooking the automatic future-account coverage of an organization trail.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
An organization trail is created in the management account with the 'IsOrganizationTrail' parameter set to true, which automatically applies the trail to all member accounts and future accounts. The trail delivers log files to a designated S3 bucket, and the bucket policy must grant the CloudTrail service principal from each account access; this is handled once at creation. A common real-world scenario is a multi-account environment where new accounts are provisioned via AWS Control Tower or Account Factory, and the organization trail ensures immediate compliance without manual intervention.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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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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: Create an AWS CloudTrail organization trail that logs events for all accounts in the organization. — Option B is correct because AWS CloudTrail organization trails automatically log events for all accounts in an AWS Organization, including any new accounts added in the future, and deliver them to a single S3 bucket without requiring per-account configuration. This satisfies the requirement for minimal ongoing manual effort and centralized auditing.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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