- A
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty detects active threats and unusual behaviour by analysing log data. It does not perform static vulnerability scanning of instance software or CVE assessments.
- B
Amazon Macie
Why wrong: Macie discovers sensitive data in S3 buckets. It does not scan EC2 instances for software vulnerabilities or network exposure.
- C
Amazon Inspector
Inspector automatically scans EC2 instances for software vulnerabilities (using the CVE database) and assesses network reachability to identify open paths that could allow unintended access. It continuously provides findings ranked by severity.
- D
AWS Shield
Why wrong: Shield provides DDoS protection. It does not perform vulnerability scanning of software on EC2 instances.
Question 800 of 1,024
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 team wants to automatically scan their Amazon EC2 instances for known software vulnerabilities (CVEs) and assess whether any instances have unintended network access paths open. Which AWS service performs these automated security assessments?
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
✓
Amazon Inspector
Amazon Inspector is the correct service because it is specifically designed to perform automated vulnerability scans (including CVEs) and network reachability assessments on EC2 instances. It uses a combination of AWS security best practices and common vulnerability databases to identify software vulnerabilities and unintended network access paths, such as open ports or overly permissive security groups.
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 GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty detects active threats and unusual behaviour by analysing log data. It does not perform static vulnerability scanning of instance software or CVE assessments.
- ✗
Amazon Macie
Why it's wrong here
Macie discovers sensitive data in S3 buckets. It does not scan EC2 instances for software vulnerabilities or network exposure.
- ✓
Amazon Inspector
Why this is correct
Inspector automatically scans EC2 instances for software vulnerabilities (using the CVE database) and assesses network reachability to identify open paths that could allow unintended access. It continuously provides findings ranked by severity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Shield
Why it's wrong here
Shield provides DDoS protection. It does not perform vulnerability scanning of software on EC2 instances.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Amazon GuardDuty's threat detection with vulnerability scanning, but GuardDuty focuses on behavioral anomalies and known malicious IPs, not on identifying software CVEs or network configuration exposures.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Amazon Inspector leverages an agent-based or agentless (via SSM) approach to collect system configuration and network state data, then compares it against a library of rules mapped to CVEs and CIS benchmarks. The network reachability assessment analyzes VPC flow logs and security group rules to determine if an EC2 instance is exposed to the internet or other unintended networks. A subtle behavior is that Inspector requires the SSM Agent to be installed and configured on the instance for agent-based scanning, and it can only assess instances in supported AWS Regions.
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.
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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: Amazon Inspector — Amazon Inspector is the correct service because it is specifically designed to perform automated vulnerability scans (including CVEs) and network reachability assessments on EC2 instances. It uses a combination of AWS security best practices and common vulnerability databases to identify software vulnerabilities and unintended network access paths, such as open ports or overly permissive security groups.
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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