- A
AWS Config rule compliance reporting only
Why wrong: Config reporting identifies non-compliant resources but doesn't automatically fix them — remediation must be triggered manually or through automation.
- B
AWS Config Rules with Automatic Remediation using SSM Automation
Config's remediation actions use AWS Systems Manager Automation documents to automatically fix non-compliant resources — e.g., enabling S3 encryption or enabling VPC flow logs.
- C
AWS Security Hub findings export to S3
Why wrong: Exporting findings to S3 enables analysis but doesn't automatically remediate the non-compliant resources.
- D
Amazon GuardDuty threat response
Why wrong: GuardDuty detects threats — it doesn't evaluate Config rule compliance or remediate configuration non-compliance.
CLF-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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's security team wants to automatically remediate non-compliant AWS Config rules, such as automatically enabling S3 server-side encryption on any bucket found without it. Which AWS Config feature enables this?
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 Rules with Automatic Remediation using SSM Automation
AWS Config Rules with Automatic Remediation using SSM Automation (Option B) is the correct feature because it allows you to associate an SSM Automation document with a non-compliant AWS Config rule. When a resource is evaluated as non-compliant, Config can automatically invoke the SSM Automation runbook to remediate the issue—for example, enabling S3 server-side encryption on a bucket that lacks it. This directly satisfies the security team's requirement for automated, policy-driven remediation without manual intervention.
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 Config rule compliance reporting only
Why it's wrong here
Config reporting identifies non-compliant resources but doesn't automatically fix them — remediation must be triggered manually or through automation.
- ✓
AWS Config Rules with Automatic Remediation using SSM Automation
Why this is correct
Config's remediation actions use AWS Systems Manager Automation documents to automatically fix non-compliant resources — e.g., enabling S3 encryption or enabling VPC flow logs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Security Hub findings export to S3
Why it's wrong here
Exporting findings to S3 enables analysis but doesn't automatically remediate the non-compliant resources.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty threat response
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty detects threats — it doesn't evaluate Config rule compliance or remediate configuration non-compliance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config's compliance reporting (Option A) with its remediation capabilities, assuming that reporting alone can fix issues, or they mistakenly think Security Hub (Option C) or GuardDuty (Option D) can perform automated compliance remediation, when in fact those services are for aggregation and threat detection, not for executing configuration changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AWS Config Automatic Remediation uses AWS Systems Manager Automation documents (runbooks) that contain predefined steps to modify resource configurations. When a Config rule triggers a remediation action, it passes the non-compliant resource's identifier (e.g., bucket ARN) to the SSM Automation document, which executes API calls (like `put-bucket-encryption` for S3) to bring the resource into compliance. A real-world scenario is enforcing encryption on all S3 buckets in a multi-account environment: you can create a custom Config rule that checks for `SSE-S3` or `SSE-KMS`, and attach an SSM Automation runbook that enables default encryption, ensuring compliance without manual audits.
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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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 Config Rules with Automatic Remediation using SSM Automation — AWS Config Rules with Automatic Remediation using SSM Automation (Option B) is the correct feature because it allows you to associate an SSM Automation document with a non-compliant AWS Config rule. When a resource is evaluated as non-compliant, Config can automatically invoke the SSM Automation runbook to remediate the issue—for example, enabling S3 server-side encryption on a bucket that lacks it. This directly satisfies the security team's requirement for automated, policy-driven remediation without manual intervention.
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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