- A
Create an SCP that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging and cloudtrail:DeleteTrail. Use an S3 event notification on the centralized bucket to trigger a Lambda function that sends an SNS alert if logs stop arriving.
SCPs prevent disabling; S3 events detect missing logs.
- B
Use AWS CloudTrail to log management events and set up a CloudWatch Events rule that triggers on StopLogging API calls.
Why wrong: This works but requires setting up per account; centralized management is more efficient.
- C
Use an SCP that requires all accounts to have a specific trust policy for CloudTrail. Use CloudTrail Insights to detect anomalous activity.
Why wrong: Trust policies are not applicable; CloudTrail Insights does not notify on trail disabling.
- D
Deploy a Lambda function in each account that periodically checks CloudTrail status and sends an SNS message if disabled.
Why wrong: Periodic checks are inefficient and may miss short-term disabling.
SAP-C02 Practice Question: Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity
This SAP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions for organizational complexity. 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.
An organization uses AWS Organizations with a multi-account strategy. The security team needs to ensure that all accounts must use AWS CloudTrail with logs delivered to a centralized S3 bucket. They also want to receive notifications if any account disables CloudTrail. What is the MOST efficient solution?
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
Create an SCP that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging and cloudtrail:DeleteTrail. Use an S3 event notification on the centralized bucket to trigger a Lambda function that sends an SNS alert if logs stop arriving.
Option A is correct. The SCP blocks disabling actions. To detect if logs stop arriving, a scheduled CloudWatch Events rule invokes a Lambda function that calls the DescribeTrails API and checks the last log delivery time. If logs have not been delivered recently, an SNS alert is sent. This combined approach provides both prevention and detection.
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.
- ✓
Create an SCP that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging and cloudtrail:DeleteTrail. Use an S3 event notification on the centralized bucket to trigger a Lambda function that sends an SNS alert if logs stop arriving.
Why this is correct
SCPs prevent disabling; S3 events detect missing logs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to log management events and set up a CloudWatch Events rule that triggers on StopLogging API calls.
Why it's wrong here
This works but requires setting up per account; centralized management is more efficient.
- ✗
Use an SCP that requires all accounts to have a specific trust policy for CloudTrail. Use CloudTrail Insights to detect anomalous activity.
Why it's wrong here
Trust policies are not applicable; CloudTrail Insights does not notify on trail disabling.
- ✗
Deploy a Lambda function in each account that periodically checks CloudTrail status and sends an SNS message if disabled.
Why it's wrong here
Periodic checks are inefficient and may miss short-term disabling.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often focus only on detecting the API call (option B) or rely on periodic checks (option D), missing the need for a preventive control (SCP) to block the disabling action entirely, and the requirement for a notification mechanism that detects the absence of logs rather than just the API call.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, S3 event notifications can be configured to trigger on `s3:ObjectCreated:*` events, but to detect when logs stop arriving, you need a mechanism like a periodic Lambda function that checks the last modified timestamp of log objects in the bucket. Alternatively, you can use Amazon EventBridge (formerly CloudWatch Events) with a custom rule that runs on a schedule to verify log delivery. The SCP in option A uses the `Deny` effect with `aws:SourceArn` or `aws:SourceAccount` conditions to ensure the trail is not tampered with, but note that SCPs do not affect the management account itself, so the centralized bucket must be in a separate account or the management account must be trusted.
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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAP-C02 question test?
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — This question tests Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an SCP that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging and cloudtrail:DeleteTrail. Use an S3 event notification on the centralized bucket to trigger a Lambda function that sends an SNS alert if logs stop arriving. — Option A is correct. The SCP blocks disabling actions. To detect if logs stop arriving, a scheduled CloudWatch Events rule invokes a Lambda function that calls the DescribeTrails API and checks the last log delivery time. If logs have not been delivered recently, an SNS alert is sent. This combined approach provides both prevention and detection.
What should I do if I get this SAP-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 24, 2026
This SAP-C02 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 SAP-C02 exam.
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