- A
AWS Bastion Host on EC2
Why wrong: Bastion hosts require an always-on EC2 instance with SSH access — they're a traditional approach that Session Manager is designed to replace.
- B
AWS Systems Manager Session Manager
Session Manager provides browser and CLI-based shell access to instances without any inbound ports open or bastion hosts — access controlled entirely by IAM, with full session logging.
- C
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Direct Connect provides private network connectivity from on-premises to AWS — it doesn't eliminate the need for SSH ports or bastion hosts within the VPC.
- D
Amazon VPC Endpoints
Why wrong: VPC Endpoints provide private access to AWS services — they don't provide remote shell access to EC2 instances.
Question 990 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 company wants to implement zero-trust network security for their AWS environment. Which AWS service enables access to EC2 instances without requiring open inbound network ports or bastion hosts?
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 Systems Manager Session Manager
AWS Systems Manager Session Manager provides secure, auditable shell access to EC2 instances without requiring open inbound ports (e.g., SSH port 22 or RDP port 3389) or a bastion host. It uses the AWS Systems Manager agent to initiate a session via the AWS API, leveraging IAM policies for authentication and authorization, and can optionally encrypt session data using AWS KMS.
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 Bastion Host on EC2
Why it's wrong here
Bastion hosts require an always-on EC2 instance with SSH access — they're a traditional approach that Session Manager is designed to replace.
- ✓
AWS Systems Manager Session Manager
Why this is correct
Session Manager provides browser and CLI-based shell access to instances without any inbound ports open or bastion hosts — access controlled entirely by IAM, with full session logging.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect provides private network connectivity from on-premises to AWS — it doesn't eliminate the need for SSH ports or bastion hosts within the VPC.
- ✗
Amazon VPC Endpoints
Why it's wrong here
VPC Endpoints provide private access to AWS services — they don't provide remote shell access to EC2 instances.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'no open inbound ports' with 'no network connectivity at all,' leading them to choose VPC Endpoints (which only connect to AWS services, not EC2 instances) or Direct Connect (which is a network link, not an access method).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Session Manager works by establishing a bidirectional WebSocket connection over HTTPS (port 443) between the SSM Agent on the EC2 instance and the AWS Systems Manager service. The agent polls for session requests, and once authorized via IAM, a secure tunnel is created without any inbound firewall rules. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for compliance frameworks like PCI DSS or SOC 2, which require strict network segmentation and audit trails for administrative access.
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.
- →
Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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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 Systems Manager Session Manager — AWS Systems Manager Session Manager provides secure, auditable shell access to EC2 instances without requiring open inbound ports (e.g., SSH port 22 or RDP port 3389) or a bastion host. It uses the AWS Systems Manager agent to initiate a session via the AWS API, leveraging IAM policies for authentication and authorization, and can optionally encrypt session data using AWS KMS.
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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