- A
AWS Config
Why wrong: AWS Config evaluates resource configurations against desired policies and records configuration changes, but it does not record the identity of the user who made the change. Therefore, it cannot provide the specific IAM user who launched the instance.
- B
AWS CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail records all API calls, including the caller identity, timestamp, source IP address, and request parameters. This enables the security team to determine which IAM user launched the EC2 instance, when, and from where.
- C
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: Amazon GuardDuty is a continuous security monitoring service that detects threats such as unusual API activity or compromised instances. However, it does not provide a comprehensive audit log of all API calls with caller identity and timestamps for historical investigation.
- D
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why wrong: AWS Trusted Advisor inspects your AWS environment and provides best-practice recommendations in areas like cost, performance, security, and fault tolerance. It does not log or track API calls, so it cannot show who launched a specific instance.
Quick Answer
The answer is AWS CloudTrail, as it is the service designed to record all API activity in your AWS account, including the exact timestamp, source IP address, and instance type for every RunInstances call. When you need to investigate who launched an EC2 instance, CloudTrail captures the IAM user identity, request parameters, and response elements, giving the security team a complete audit trail to trace the unauthorized launch. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of governance and compliance services, often contrasting CloudTrail with CloudWatch (which monitors performance metrics) or Config (which tracks resource configuration changes). A common trap is confusing CloudTrail with CloudWatch Logs, but remember: CloudTrail is for who did what and when, while CloudWatch is for how resources are performing. To lock it in, think of the mnemonic “Trail of breadcrumbs” — CloudTrail leaves a detailed trail of every API action, including the user and source IP, so you can always follow the path back to the person who launched that EC2 instance.
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's security team needs to investigate a potential security incident. They want to determine which IAM user launched a new, unauthorized Amazon EC2 instance two days ago. The team needs to see the exact timestamp, the source IP address, and the instance type that was launched. Which AWS service should the security team use to find 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 API activity in your AWS account, including the exact timestamp, source IP address, and details (such as instance type) for every RunInstances API call. This allows the security team to trace the unauthorized EC2 launch back to the specific IAM user who made the request, as CloudTrail logs include the user identity, request parameters, and response elements.
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
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configurations against desired policies and records configuration changes, but it does not record the identity of the user who made the change. Therefore, it cannot provide the specific IAM user who launched the instance.
- ✓
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
AWS CloudTrail records all API calls, including the caller identity, timestamp, source IP address, and request parameters. This enables the security team to determine which IAM user launched the EC2 instance, when, and from where.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
Amazon GuardDuty is a continuous security monitoring service that detects threats such as unusual API activity or compromised instances. However, it does not provide a comprehensive audit log of all API calls with caller identity and timestamps for historical investigation.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor inspects your AWS environment and provides best-practice recommendations in areas like cost, performance, security, and fault tolerance. It does not log or track API calls, so it cannot show who launched a specific instance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config (which tracks configuration changes) with CloudTrail (which tracks who made the change and when), leading them to pick Config because they think 'configuration change' includes user identity, but Config does not log the principal or source IP.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
AWS Trusted Advisor inspects your AWS environment and provides best-practice recommendations in areas like cost, performance, security, and fault tolerance. It does not log or track API calls, so it cannot show who launched a specific instance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudTrail delivers log files to an S3 bucket (or CloudWatch Logs) containing JSON records with fields such as 'eventTime', 'sourceIPAddress', 'userIdentity' (including the IAM user ARN), and 'requestParameters' (which includes 'instanceType' for RunInstances). By default, CloudTrail logs all API calls for the past 90 days in the Event History console, but for long-term retention and advanced querying, you should enable a trail and use Athena or CloudWatch Logs Insights. A real-world scenario: if an attacker uses stolen IAM credentials to launch a GPU-intensive instance, CloudTrail reveals the exact time, the attacker's IP, and the instance type (e.g., p3.2xlarge), enabling rapid containment and forensic analysis.
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: AWS CloudTrail — AWS CloudTrail is the correct service because it records API activity in your AWS account, including the exact timestamp, source IP address, and details (such as instance type) for every RunInstances API call. This allows the security team to trace the unauthorized EC2 launch back to the specific IAM user who made the request, as CloudTrail logs include the user identity, request parameters, and response elements.
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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