DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A company must comply with a regulation that requires logging all access to sensitive data stored in Amazon S3. Which AWS services can be used to capture and store access logs? (Choose TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
DEA-C01 often tests the confusion between configuration auditing (AWS Config), network traffic logging (VPC Flow Logs), and actual data access logging (CloudTrail data events and S3 server access logs), causing candidates to select services that do not capture S3 object access.
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 (C) is correct because it records S3 data events (GetObject, PutObject, DeleteObject) for object-level access to sensitive data, delivering an audit trail of every API call to the S3 bucket. Amazon S3 server access logs (D) are also correct because they capture detailed, object-level records of every request made to a bucket, including requester, operation, and response status, and can be stored in a target bucket for compliance. AWS Config (A) evaluates resource configuration and compliance over time but does not log individual data access requests. Amazon CloudWatch Logs (B) stores and monitors log data but does not itself capture S3 access events. VPC Flow Logs (E) capture IP traffic metadata at the ENI/subnet level and cannot record S3 object-level access.
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 records resource configuration changes and evaluates compliance, not data-plane access events such as GetObject calls. It is tempting because it does log S3 bucket-level configuration history, which suits auditing bucket policies, but capturing object access requires S3 server access logging or CloudTrail data events.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs stores application and service logs, not S3 data-access events; it cannot record who read which object. It is the right target for Lambda or EC2 log output. S3 server access logging and CloudTrail data events capture object-level access, satisfying the regulation.
- ✓
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
AWS CloudTrail records S3 API activity, including object-level data events when enabled, capturing who accessed sensitive objects and when. It satisfies the regulation by providing an auditable log of all access requests to the bucket.
- ✓
Amazon S3 server access logs
Why this is correct
Amazon S3 server access logs record every request made to a bucket, including the requester, action, and timestamp, delivered to a target bucket. This provides the detailed access trail the regulation demands for sensitive data.
- ✗
VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs record IP traffic metadata for network interfaces, subnets and transit gateways; they show connections, not S3 object-level GET or PUT operations. They suit network troubleshooting and security analysis. S3 server access logging and CloudTrail data events provide the required object-access records.
Visual reference
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Amazon Web Services exam blueprint
This DEA-C01 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 DEA-C01 exam.