PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
A company manages a multi-account AWS environment using AWS Organizations. The operations team needs to ensure that all accounts have CloudTrail enabled and that logs are delivered to a centralized S3 bucket. What is the MOST efficient way to enforce this configuration?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume a single CloudTrail configuration in the management account with a shared S3 bucket is sufficient, but CloudTrail must be enabled independently in each account to capture its own API activity.
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
✓
Deploy an AWS CloudFormation StackSet with a template that enables CloudTrail and configures the S3 bucket in every account and region.
AWS CloudFormation StackSets allow you to deploy a CloudTrail configuration template across multiple accounts and regions in a single, automated operation. This approach ensures consistent enforcement of the policy without manual intervention, leveraging the centralized management capabilities of AWS Organizations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure CloudTrail in the management account with an S3 bucket policy that grants access to all member accounts.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail cross-account delivery is not supported natively.
- ✓
Deploy an AWS CloudFormation StackSet with a template that enables CloudTrail and configures the S3 bucket in every account and region.
Why this is correct
StackSets provide centralized, consistent deployment and drift detection.
- ✗
Create a custom script using AWS CLI to enable CloudTrail in each account and region.
Why it's wrong here
Scripts require maintenance and can miss drift.
- ✗
Use AWS Service Catalog to publish a CloudTrail product and require each account to launch it.
Why it's wrong here
Service Catalog does not enforce deployment; accounts may choose not to launch.
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 |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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