Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon Macie, the correct choice because it uses machine learning and pattern matching to automatically discover and classify personally identifiable information (PII) stored in Amazon S3, making it the ideal service for automated PII detection in S3 using Macie. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between services that inspect data content versus those that audit configurations or detect threats. A common trap is confusing Macie with AWS Config, which evaluates resource compliance but never reads object data, or GuardDuty, which focuses on malicious activity rather than sensitive data. Remember the memory tip: Macie “Makes PII visible” by looking inside the bucket, while Config only looks at the bucket’s settings. For the DLP scenario described, Macie identifies the PII objects, then you can trigger a Lambda function to apply encryption with a customer-managed KMS key.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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 is implementing a data loss prevention (DLP) solution for data stored in Amazon S3. The data includes personally identifiable information (PII). The company wants to automatically identify and classify PII objects, then apply encryption using AWS KMS with a customer-managed key. Which AWS service should be used to identify PII?
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail records API calls, not data content.
Amazon Macie
Macie is designed to discover and classify sensitive data in S3.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty detects malicious activity, not PII.
AWS Config
Why wrong: AWS Config checks resource configurations, not data content.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon Macie
Option D is correct because Amazon Macie uses machine learning and pattern matching to discover sensitive data such as PII in S3. Option A is wrong because AWS Config evaluates resource configurations, not data content. Option B is wrong because Amazon GuardDuty detects threats, not PII. Option C is wrong because AWS CloudTrail logs API calls, not data content.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail records API calls, not data content.
Amazon Macie
Why this is correct
Macie is designed to discover and classify sensitive data in S3.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty detects malicious activity, not PII.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config checks resource configurations, not data content.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
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
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Data Protection — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: Amazon Macie — Option D is correct because Amazon Macie uses machine learning and pattern matching to discover sensitive data such as PII in S3. Option A is wrong because AWS Config evaluates resource configurations, not data content. Option B is wrong because Amazon GuardDuty detects threats, not PII. Option C is wrong because AWS CloudTrail logs API calls, not data content.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This SCS-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 SCS-C02 exam.
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