DEA-C01 Data Security and Governance Practice Question
A data engineer needs to audit who accessed specific objects in an S3 bucket over the past 30 days. Which AWS service should be used?
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
✓
Amazon S3 server access logs
Amazon S3 server access logs provide detailed records of requests made to an S3 bucket, including object-level access (e.g., who accessed which object, when, and from where). Option A (AWS Config) is used for resource inventory and compliance, not access auditing. Option B (Amazon CloudWatch Logs) can store and monitor logs but does not generate S3 access logs. Option D (AWS CloudTrail) logs API calls to S3, but by default it records bucket-level operations, not object-level access; CloudTrail can be enabled for data events to log object-level operations, but S3 server access logs are specifically designed for detailed object access auditing and are simpler to enable for this requirement.
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 tracks configuration changes and compliance of AWS resources, not access to objects.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why it's wrong here
Amazon CloudWatch Logs can store logs from various sources but does not generate S3 access logs itself.
- ✓
Amazon S3 server access logs
Why this is correct
Amazon S3 server access logs capture detailed information about every request made to a bucket, including object access, making it the correct choice.
- ✗
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail primarily records AWS API calls, including management plane operations on S3 buckets like `CreateBucket`. While it can log S3 data events for object-level actions such as `GetObject`, this requires explicit configuration, and without it, CloudTrail would not provide the granular object access details needed to audit specific objects. It is tempting because CloudTrail *does* log S3 API activity, making it the correct choice for auditing bucket-level configuration changes or API-driven object modifications across AWS services.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.