- A
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: AWS CloudTrail records API calls for auditing, but it does not evaluate the current configuration state of resources or enforce compliance rules.
- B
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that analyzes network traffic, DNS logs, and account activity for malicious behavior, not for configuration compliance.
- C
AWS Config
AWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations and allows you to evaluate them against desired configurations using managed or custom rules. It can detect security groups with unrestricted SSH access and trigger notifications or automatic remediation.
- D
AWS Security Hub
Why wrong: AWS Security Hub provides a comprehensive view of security alerts and compliance status from multiple AWS services, but it does not directly perform configuration evaluations; it relies on services like AWS Config for that data.
Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Config, which is the correct choice because it continuously monitors and evaluates AWS resource configurations against defined policies using managed rules like restricted-ssh. This rule automatically detects any security group that allows unrestricted SSH access from 0.0.0.0/0, triggering alerts or automated remediation to meet compliance requirements. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of AWS Config’s role in governance and compliance, often appearing as a direct question about monitoring security group changes. A common trap is confusing AWS Config with AWS CloudTrail, which focuses on API activity logs rather than configuration evaluation. Remember the memory tip: Config checks “what” is configured, CloudTrail checks “who” did what.
CLF-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 has deployed multiple EC2 instances with different security groups. The compliance team wants to ensure that no security group allows unrestricted SSH access (0.0.0.0/0) and receive alerts if any such rule is created. Which AWS service can they use to continuously monitor and evaluate the security group configurations against this policy?
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
AWS Config is the correct service because it provides continuous monitoring and evaluation of AWS resource configurations against desired policies. With a managed rule like `restricted-ssh`, AWS Config can automatically detect security groups that allow unrestricted SSH access (0.0.0.0/0) and trigger alerts or remediation actions. This meets the compliance team's requirement for ongoing, rule-based evaluation of security group configurations.
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 CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
AWS CloudTrail records API calls for auditing, but it does not evaluate the current configuration state of resources or enforce compliance rules.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that analyzes network traffic, DNS logs, and account activity for malicious behavior, not for configuration compliance.
- ✓
AWS Config
Why this is correct
AWS Config continuously monitors and records AWS resource configurations and allows you to evaluate them against desired configurations using managed or custom rules. It can detect security groups with unrestricted SSH access and trigger notifications or automatic remediation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Security Hub
Why it's wrong here
AWS Security Hub provides a comprehensive view of security alerts and compliance status from multiple AWS services, but it does not directly perform configuration evaluations; it relies on services like AWS Config for that data.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse AWS CloudTrail (which logs API calls) with AWS Config (which evaluates resource configurations), or they mistakenly think Amazon GuardDuty can check static security group rules when it is designed for dynamic threat detection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Config evaluates resources by recording configuration changes as configuration items and comparing them against rules defined in AWS Config Rules (e.g., using AWS Lambda functions or managed rules). The `restricted-ssh` managed rule specifically checks the `ipPermissions` field of the security group resource for an entry with `IpProtocol` set to `tcp`, `FromPort` and `ToPort` set to `22`, and `IpRanges` containing `0.0.0.0/0`. In a real-world scenario, AWS Config can be integrated with Amazon EventBridge to send notifications to an SNS topic or trigger an AWS Systems Manager Automation document to automatically revoke the offending rule.
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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CLF-C02 practice test guide
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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 — AWS Config is the correct service because it provides continuous monitoring and evaluation of AWS resource configurations against desired policies. With a managed rule like `restricted-ssh`, AWS Config can automatically detect security groups that allow unrestricted SSH access (0.0.0.0/0) and trigger alerts or remediation actions. This meets the compliance team's requirement for ongoing, rule-based evaluation of security group configurations.
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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