- A
Enable CloudTrail Insights to detect unusual activity in the account.
Why wrong: CloudTrail Insights detects unusual activity, not specific API calls.
- B
Configure the CloudWatch Events rule to send a notification to an Amazon SNS topic.
SNS can send email or SMS alerts.
- C
Create an Amazon CloudWatch Events rule that matches the CreateAccessKey API call via CloudTrail.
CloudWatch Events can filter on CloudTrail events and trigger actions.
- D
Create an AWS Config rule that checks for access key creation and sends an SNS notification.
Why wrong: Config rules evaluate configuration changes, not API calls.
- E
Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to run a query on the CloudTrail logs and set an alarm.
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs Insights is query-based; it does not support real-time alarms on specific events without a metric filter.
DOP-C02 Incident and Event Response Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of incident and event response. 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 uses AWS CloudTrail to log API activity. The security team wants to be alerted when an IAM user creates a new access key. Which TWO steps should be taken to accomplish this? (Choose TWO.)
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
Configure the CloudWatch Events rule to send a notification to an Amazon SNS topic.
Option B is correct because Amazon CloudWatch Events (now Events) can be configured to match specific API calls logged by CloudTrail, such as CreateAccessKey. When the rule triggers, it can invoke an SNS topic to send an alert, enabling real-time notification. This approach directly monitors the API activity without additional overhead.
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.
- ✗
Enable CloudTrail Insights to detect unusual activity in the account.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail Insights detects unusual activity, not specific API calls.
- ✓
Configure the CloudWatch Events rule to send a notification to an Amazon SNS topic.
Why this is correct
SNS can send email or SMS alerts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Create an Amazon CloudWatch Events rule that matches the CreateAccessKey API call via CloudTrail.
Why this is correct
CloudWatch Events can filter on CloudTrail events and trigger actions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create an AWS Config rule that checks for access key creation and sends an SNS notification.
Why it's wrong here
Config rules evaluate configuration changes, not API calls.
- ✗
Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to run a query on the CloudTrail logs and set an alarm.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs Insights is query-based; it does not support real-time alarms on specific events without a metric filter.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config rules (which check resource compliance) with CloudWatch Events (which react to API calls), leading them to choose Option D instead of the correct event-driven approach.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudWatch Events (now part of Amazon EventBridge) uses event patterns to match CloudTrail log entries in near real-time. The CreateAccessKey API call generates a specific event with detail-type 'AWS API Call via CloudTrail' and detail.eventSource 'iam.amazonaws.com'. This allows precise triggering of SNS notifications without polling or querying logs. In a real-world scenario, this setup can be combined with AWS Lambda for automated remediation, such as disabling the key or notifying the user.
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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Incident and Event Response — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Incident and Event Response — This question tests Incident and Event Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the CloudWatch Events rule to send a notification to an Amazon SNS topic. — Option B is correct because Amazon CloudWatch Events (now Events) can be configured to match specific API calls logged by CloudTrail, such as CreateAccessKey. When the rule triggers, it can invoke an SNS topic to send an alert, enabling real-time notification. This approach directly monitors the API activity without additional overhead.
What should I do if I get this DOP-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
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