- A
Amazon CloudWatch
Why wrong: CloudWatch collects metrics and logs from AWS services and applications. While it can capture application logs, it does not specifically record who made AWS API calls like deleting an S3 bucket.
- B
AWS Config
Why wrong: AWS Config records the configuration state of AWS resources over time and can show that the bucket no longer exists, but it does not capture the API event details (caller identity, IP, timestamp) the way CloudTrail does.
- C
AWS CloudTrail
CloudTrail logs every API call to AWS services, capturing the IAM identity, source IP, timestamp, and operation details. Searching CloudTrail for DeleteBucket events would show exactly who deleted the S3 bucket, when, and from which IP.
- D
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty is a threat detection service that analyses CloudTrail logs among other sources to find suspicious activity. It uses CloudTrail data but is not the source of API audit records.
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 security auditor needs to know which IAM user deleted a specific S3 bucket last week, from which IP address the action was taken, and at what exact time. Which AWS service captures this information?
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 CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail is the correct service because it records all API calls made to the AWS environment, including S3 bucket deletion actions (DeleteBucket). It captures the identity of the IAM user, the source IP address, and the exact timestamp of each API call, which directly meets the auditor's requirements.
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.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch collects metrics and logs from AWS services and applications. While it can capture application logs, it does not specifically record who made AWS API calls like deleting an S3 bucket.
- ✗
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config records the configuration state of AWS resources over time and can show that the bucket no longer exists, but it does not capture the API event details (caller identity, IP, timestamp) the way CloudTrail does.
- ✓
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs every API call to AWS services, capturing the IAM identity, source IP, timestamp, and operation details. Searching CloudTrail for DeleteBucket events would show exactly who deleted the S3 bucket, when, and from which IP.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty is a threat detection service that analyses CloudTrail logs among other sources to find suspicious activity. It uses CloudTrail data but is not the source of API audit records.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config's ability to track resource changes (like bucket deletion) with CloudTrail's ability to log the identity and source of the API call, leading them to select Config instead of CloudTrail.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
AWS Config records the configuration state of AWS resources over time and can show that the bucket no longer exists, but it does not capture the API event details (caller identity, IP, timestamp) the way CloudTrail does.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudTrail delivers event history in JSON format, with fields such as 'userIdentity' (including IAM user ARN), 'sourceIPAddress', and 'eventTime' (in ISO 8601 format). For S3 management events like DeleteBucket, CloudTrail logs the event within approximately 15 minutes of the API call, and these logs can be stored in an S3 bucket for long-term retention. A real-world scenario is a security incident where an auditor must correlate the exact time and IP of a bucket deletion with other logs (e.g., VPC flow logs) to identify a compromised IAM user.
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: AWS CloudTrail — AWS CloudTrail is the correct service because it records all API calls made to the AWS environment, including S3 bucket deletion actions (DeleteBucket). It captures the identity of the IAM user, the source IP address, and the exact timestamp of each API call, which directly meets the auditor's requirements.
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
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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