The answer is to create a Service Control Policy (SCP) in AWS Organizations that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging, cloudtrail:DeleteTrail, cloudtrail:UpdateTrail, and similar actions. This is the most effective method because SCPs act as a centralized permission guardrail across all accounts in an organization, setting a maximum permission boundary that cannot be overridden by any IAM policies within the target account. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the hierarchy of authorization—specifically that SCPs apply before IAM policies and can prevent CloudTrail disable/deletion even for the root user. A common trap is choosing IAM permissions boundaries, which only limit what a role can do but can still be bypassed by other principals. Remember the memory tip: SCPs are the “master switch” for account-wide security controls, making them the only tool that can universally block CloudTrail modifications across an entire production account.
SCS-C02 Management and Security Governance Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to prevent all users in the production account from disabling AWS CloudTrail or modifying its configuration. What is the MOST effective way to achieve this?
Use IAM policies to deny only cloudtrail:DeleteTrail for all users.
Why wrong: This does not prevent updating or stopping logging.
B
Enable CloudTrail log file validation and use AWS Config to detect changes.
Why wrong: Detection does not prevent modifications.
C
Create an SCP in AWS Organizations that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging, cloudtrail:DeleteTrail, cloudtrail:UpdateTrail, and similar actions.
SCPs can deny actions across all accounts in the organization.
D
Attach an IAM permissions boundary to all IAM roles in the production account that denies CloudTrail modifications.
Why wrong: Permissions boundaries limit permissions but a user with full permissions could still modify CloudTrail if the boundary is not applied correctly.
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 in AWS Organizations that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging, cloudtrail:DeleteTrail, cloudtrail:UpdateTrail, and similar actions.
Option C is correct because an SCP can deny actions related to CloudTrail across the entire account. Option A is wrong because IAM permissions boundaries limit permissions but can be overridden by an SCP. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail itself cannot prevent modifications to its configuration. Option D is wrong because it only prevents deletion, not modification.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 IAM policies to deny only cloudtrail:DeleteTrail for all users.
Why it's wrong here
This does not prevent updating or stopping logging.
✗
Enable CloudTrail log file validation and use AWS Config to detect changes.
Why it's wrong here
Detection does not prevent modifications.
✓
Create an SCP in AWS Organizations that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging, cloudtrail:DeleteTrail, cloudtrail:UpdateTrail, and similar actions.
Why this is correct
SCPs can deny actions across all accounts in the organization.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
Attach an IAM permissions boundary to all IAM roles in the production account that denies CloudTrail modifications.
Why it's wrong here
Permissions boundaries limit permissions but a user with full permissions could still modify CloudTrail if the boundary is not applied correctly.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an SCP in AWS Organizations that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging, cloudtrail:DeleteTrail, cloudtrail:UpdateTrail, and similar actions. — Option C is correct because an SCP can deny actions related to CloudTrail across the entire account. Option A is wrong because IAM permissions boundaries limit permissions but can be overridden by an SCP. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail itself cannot prevent modifications to its configuration. Option D is wrong because it only prevents deletion, not modification.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company uses AWS Organizations with many accounts. The security team wants to ensure that no account can disable AWS CloudTrail or stop logging. Which configuration should be used?
hard
A.Enable CloudTrail log file validation.
B.Attach an IAM policy to the root user in each account.
C.Use AWS Config rules to detect and alert when CloudTrail is modified.
✓ D.Apply an SCP that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging and cloudtrail:DeleteTrail.
Why D: Option A is correct because an SCP can deny the cloudtrail:StopLogging and cloudtrail:DeleteTrail actions at the organizational level. Option B is wrong because AWS Config rules can detect but not prevent. Option C is wrong because IAM policies in the master account do not affect member accounts. Option D is wrong because CloudTrail itself cannot prevent its own modification.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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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