SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
A company uses AWS CloudTrail to log data events for S3 buckets. They notice that some S3 object-level API calls are not being logged. Which configuration could be the cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse management events (which are logged by default) with data events (which require explicit configuration), leading them to incorrectly assume that all S3 API calls are automatically captured by CloudTrail.
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
✓
The trail is not configured to log data events for the S3 bucket.
CloudTrail trails must be explicitly configured to log data events for S3 buckets. Data events are high-volume operations (e.g., GetObject, PutObject, DeleteObject) and are not captured by default. If the trail is not configured to log data events for the specific S3 bucket, those object-level API calls will not appear in the CloudTrail logs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The trail is not configured to log data events for the S3 bucket.
Why this is correct
Data events must be enabled for S3 object-level logging.
- ✗
The trail is configured to log management events only.
Why it's wrong here
Management events do not include S3 object-level operations.
- ✗
The trail is using a CloudWatch Logs log group for delivery.
Why it's wrong here
Delivery destination does not affect which events are logged.
- ✗
The trail is configured to log read events only.
Why it's wrong here
Would log read events but miss write events; not the cause of missing both.
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 |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.