- A
Ensuring the physical security of AWS data centers
Why wrong: Physical security of data centers is the responsibility of AWS. This includes controlled access, surveillance, and environmental controls. Customers do not have physical access to data centers and do not manage physical security.
- B
Patching the hypervisor layer that runs Amazon EC2 instances
Why wrong: The hypervisor, which abstracts the underlying hardware for Amazon EC2 instances, is managed and patched by AWS. Customers are responsible only for patching the guest operating system and applications running on their instances.
- C
Managing network access control lists (ACLs) for the customer's VPC
Network ACLs are stateless firewall rules that control inbound and outbound traffic at the subnet level within a VPC. Configuring and managing these rules is the customer's responsibility as part of managing security in the cloud.
- D
Replacing defective hardware components in the AWS global infrastructure
Why wrong: AWS is responsible for the maintenance and replacement of all hardware components in its data centers, including servers, storage devices, and networking equipment. Customers do not perform hardware replacements.
Quick Answer
The answer is managing network access control lists (ACLs) for the customer's VPC. This is correct because the AWS Shared Responsibility Model divides security duties into "Security of the Cloud" (AWS responsibility for infrastructure) and "Security in the Cloud" (customer responsibility for everything they deploy). Network ACLs are stateless, subnet-level firewall rules that customers must configure to control inbound and outbound traffic, making them a classic example of customer responsibilities. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this concept tests your ability to distinguish between what AWS manages (hardware, hypervisor, physical security) versus what you manage (guest OS, application data, network configurations). A common trap is confusing security groups (stateful, instance-level) with NACLs (stateless, subnet-level) — both are customer-managed, but NACLs require explicit rules for return traffic. Memory tip: think "NACL = Network Access Control List = Your List, Your Rules."
CLF-C02 Cloud Concepts Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of cloud concepts. 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 is migrating its on-premises applications to the AWS Cloud. The Chief Security Officer wants to confirm the division of security responsibilities. According to the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, which of the following tasks is the customer's responsibility?
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
Managing network access control lists (ACLs) for the customer's VPC
Option C is correct because managing network access control lists (ACLs) for a customer's VPC is explicitly a customer responsibility under the AWS Shared Responsibility Model. Customers control inbound and outbound traffic at the subnet level by configuring NACLs, which are stateless firewall rules. AWS provides the infrastructure and the VPC service, but the customer must define and manage the ACL rules to enforce network segmentation and security.
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.
- ✗
Ensuring the physical security of AWS data centers
Why it's wrong here
Physical security of data centers is the responsibility of AWS. This includes controlled access, surveillance, and environmental controls. Customers do not have physical access to data centers and do not manage physical security.
- ✗
Patching the hypervisor layer that runs Amazon EC2 instances
Why it's wrong here
The hypervisor, which abstracts the underlying hardware for Amazon EC2 instances, is managed and patched by AWS. Customers are responsible only for patching the guest operating system and applications running on their instances.
- ✓
Managing network access control lists (ACLs) for the customer's VPC
Why this is correct
Network ACLs are stateless firewall rules that control inbound and outbound traffic at the subnet level within a VPC. Configuring and managing these rules is the customer's responsibility as part of managing security in the cloud.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Replacing defective hardware components in the AWS global infrastructure
Why it's wrong here
AWS is responsible for the maintenance and replacement of all hardware components in its data centers, including servers, storage devices, and networking equipment. Customers do not perform hardware replacements.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the customer's responsibility for managing network ACLs with AWS's responsibility for managing the underlying network infrastructure, such as the hypervisor or physical hardware, leading them to incorrectly select options A, B, or D.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Network ACLs operate at the subnet level and are stateless, meaning you must explicitly define both inbound and outbound rules for traffic to flow correctly; this contrasts with security groups, which are stateful and operate at the instance level. A common real-world scenario is when a customer misconfigures a NACL rule to block ephemeral ports (1024-65535), causing outbound responses to fail even if the security group allows the traffic. Understanding the stateless nature of NACLs is critical for troubleshooting connectivity issues in a VPC.
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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Cloud Concepts — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Cloud Concepts — This question tests Cloud Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Managing network access control lists (ACLs) for the customer's VPC — Option C is correct because managing network access control lists (ACLs) for a customer's VPC is explicitly a customer responsibility under the AWS Shared Responsibility Model. Customers control inbound and outbound traffic at the subnet level by configuring NACLs, which are stateless firewall rules. AWS provides the infrastructure and the VPC service, but the customer must define and manage the ACL rules to enforce network segmentation and security.
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.
About these practice questions
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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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