The answer is AWS CloudTrail and Amazon EventBridge (formerly CloudWatch Events) because CloudTrail records all IAM user creation as `CreateUser` API calls, and EventBridge can be configured with a rule to match that exact event pattern and trigger an SNS notification for real-time alerting across all accounts. This combination meets the compliance requirement without custom code by leveraging AWS’s native event-driven architecture. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of centralized logging and event-driven responses, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose AWS Config or Lambda alone—Config tracks resource changes but not API calls, and Lambda needs a trigger. The key is remembering that CloudTrail captures the API action, while EventBridge provides the reactive rule engine. Memory tip: think “Trail for the trail of API calls, Bridge for the bridge to alerts.”
DOP-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This DOP-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.
An organization has a compliance requirement to automatically detect and alert on any IAM user creation in all AWS accounts. Which combination of services should be used to meet this requirement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch Events
AWS CloudTrail captures all IAM user creation events as `CreateUser` API calls. Amazon CloudWatch Events (now Amazon EventBridge) can be configured with a rule that matches this specific event pattern and triggers an alert via Amazon SNS. This combination provides real-time detection and notification without custom code.
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.
✗
Amazon GuardDuty and Amazon SNS
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty is for malicious activity, not for tracking IAM user creation.
✗
Amazon S3 server access logs and Amazon Athena
Why it's wrong here
S3 access logs are for object-level requests, not IAM API calls.
✗
AWS Config and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Config monitors configuration changes, not API calls like CreateUser.
✓
AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch Events
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs API calls; CloudWatch Events can trigger alerts on specific events.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config (which evaluates resource configurations) with CloudTrail (which records API activity), leading them to select Option C, but AWS Config cannot trigger alerts on API call events like `CreateUser`; it only reacts to configuration changes after they have occurred.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudTrail delivers events to CloudWatch Events (EventBridge) via a default event bus. The event pattern for IAM `CreateUser` uses the `detail.eventSource` field set to `iam.amazonaws.com` and `detail.eventName` set to `CreateUser`. EventBridge then evaluates the rule in near real-time (typically within seconds) and invokes a target such as an SNS topic, Lambda function, or SQS queue. A subtle behavior is that IAM user creation events are recorded as management events in CloudTrail, which are enabled by default in all AWS accounts, but the trail must be configured to send events to CloudWatch Logs or EventBridge for alerting.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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 — 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 CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch Events — AWS CloudTrail captures all IAM user creation events as `CreateUser` API calls. Amazon CloudWatch Events (now Amazon EventBridge) can be configured with a rule that matches this specific event pattern and triggers an alert via Amazon SNS. This combination provides real-time detection and notification without custom code.
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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Question Discussion
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