- A
Use AWS Trusted Advisor to check for security group changes and send email alerts.
Why wrong: Trusted Advisor does not monitor real-time changes; it provides periodic checks.
- B
Use AWS Config to monitor security group changes and trigger a Lambda function to send notifications.
Why wrong: AWS Config can detect changes but is not real-time and does not directly provide who made the change; it shows configuration changes but not the principal.
- C
Enable AWS CloudTrail and create a CloudWatch Events rule that triggers on EC2 SecurityGroup events, sending notifications via SNS.
CloudTrail logs API calls to create, modify, and delete security group rules. CloudWatch Events can filter on these events and send to SNS for notification.
- D
Enable VPC Flow Logs and analyze logs for changes to security group rules.
Why wrong: Flow Logs capture network traffic, not security group rule changes.
ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. 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 audit all changes to security groups in their AWS account. They need to be notified whenever a security group rule is added, modified, or removed. They also want to see who made the change. Which solution should they implement?
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
Enable AWS CloudTrail and create a CloudWatch Events rule that triggers on EC2 SecurityGroup events, sending notifications via SNS.
AWS CloudTrail captures all API calls, including EC2 SecurityGroup-related actions (AuthorizeSecurityGroupIngress, RevokeSecurityGroupIngress, etc.), recording the identity of the caller. A CloudWatch Events rule can filter for these specific events and trigger an SNS notification, providing both the change details and the IAM user or role that made the change. This meets the audit and notification requirements precisely.
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.
- ✗
Use AWS Trusted Advisor to check for security group changes and send email alerts.
Why it's wrong here
Trusted Advisor does not monitor real-time changes; it provides periodic checks.
- ✗
Use AWS Config to monitor security group changes and trigger a Lambda function to send notifications.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config can detect changes but is not real-time and does not directly provide who made the change; it shows configuration changes but not the principal.
- ✓
Enable AWS CloudTrail and create a CloudWatch Events rule that triggers on EC2 SecurityGroup events, sending notifications via SNS.
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs API calls to create, modify, and delete security group rules. CloudWatch Events can filter on these events and send to SNS for notification.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable VPC Flow Logs and analyze logs for changes to security group rules.
Why it's wrong here
Flow Logs capture network traffic, not security group rule changes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse AWS Config's configuration tracking (which detects drift but not per-event user identity) with CloudTrail's API-level audit trail, or they mistakenly think VPC Flow Logs can capture security group changes when they only capture traffic metadata.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
AWS Config can detect changes but is not real-time and does not directly provide who made the change; it shows configuration changes but not the principal.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudTrail records management events like AuthorizeSecurityGroupIngress and RevokeSecurityGroupIngress with the user identity (ARN, access key, source IP) and timestamp. CloudWatch Events (now part of Amazon EventBridge) can match these events using a specific event pattern (e.g., source: 'ec2.amazonaws.com', detail.eventName: ['AuthorizeSecurityGroupIngress', 'RevokeSecurityGroupIngress', 'AuthorizeSecurityGroupEgress', 'RevokeSecurityGroupEgress']) and route them to an SNS topic for email or other notifications. This ensures near-real-time, auditable alerts with full identity context.
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.
- →
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Network Security, Compliance and Governance practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All ANS-C01 questions
1,705 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
ANS-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related ANS-C01 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Network Management and Operations practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Management and Operations.
Network Security, Compliance and Governance practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Security, Compliance and Governance.
Network Design practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Design.
Network Implementation practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to Network Implementation.
ANS-C01 fundamentals practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to ANS-C01 fundamentals.
ANS-C01 scenario practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to ANS-C01 scenario.
ANS-C01 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise ANS-C01 questions linked to ANS-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free ANS-C01 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ANS-C01 question test?
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable AWS CloudTrail and create a CloudWatch Events rule that triggers on EC2 SecurityGroup events, sending notifications via SNS. — AWS CloudTrail captures all API calls, including EC2 SecurityGroup-related actions (AuthorizeSecurityGroupIngress, RevokeSecurityGroupIngress, etc.), recording the identity of the caller. A CloudWatch Events rule can filter for these specific events and trigger an SNS notification, providing both the change details and the IAM user or role that made the change. This meets the audit and notification requirements precisely.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This ANS-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 ANS-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.