Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Config, the correct service to enforce a specific AMI ID for EC2 instances because it continuously evaluates resource configurations against desired policies and can automatically remediate violations. AWS Config works by defining a custom rule—often a Lambda function—that checks each EC2 instance’s AMI ID against your approved list; when a non-compliant instance is detected, you can attach an auto-remediation action using Systems Manager Automation to stop, terminate, or replace it. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how AWS Config bridges detection and remediation, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly choose AWS Systems Manager or AWS Service Catalog—remember, Systems Manager handles the remediation action, but Config is the detective and policy enforcer. A key memory tip: think of AWS Config as the “compliance cop” that both spots the violation and calls in the “remediation crew” (SSM Automation) to fix it.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. 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 wants to enforce that all EC2 instances use a specific AMI ID. Which AWS service can be used to detect and remediate non-compliant instances?
AWS Systems Manager
Why wrong: Systems Manager manages instances but not AMI compliance by default.
Amazon Inspector
Why wrong: Inspector is for vulnerability scanning.
AWS Config
Config detects non-compliant resources and can auto-remediate.
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs but does not remediate.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Config
AWS Config is the correct service because it continuously evaluates your AWS resource configurations against desired policies, such as requiring a specific AMI ID for all EC2 instances. You can create an AWS Config rule (e.g., a custom Lambda rule or a managed rule like 'ec2-instance-managed-by-systems-manager') to detect non-compliant instances, and then use AWS Config auto-remediation with Systems Manager Automation documents to terminate or replace them. This directly enforces compliance by both detecting and remediating violations.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Systems Manager
Why it's wrong here
Systems Manager manages instances but not AMI compliance by default.
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Inspector is for vulnerability scanning.
AWS Config
Why this is correct
Config detects non-compliant resources and can auto-remediate.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs but does not remediate.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config with AWS Systems Manager because both can perform remediation, but only AWS Config provides continuous configuration evaluation and rule-based detection of non-compliant resources like AMI IDs.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, AWS Config uses a configuration recorder to track resource changes and evaluates them against rules defined in AWS Config managed rules or custom Lambda functions. For AMI ID enforcement, you can use the 'ec2-instance-managed-by-systems-manager' managed rule with a parameter specifying the allowed AMI ID, or a custom rule that queries the EC2 instance's imageId and compares it to a whitelist. A real-world scenario is a financial services company that must ensure all EC2 instances run a hardened, pre-approved AMI to meet PCI DSS requirements; AWS Config can automatically flag and remediate any instance launched with an unauthorized AMI, even if launched by an auto-scaling group.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
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Management and Security Governance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Config — AWS Config is the correct service because it continuously evaluates your AWS resource configurations against desired policies, such as requiring a specific AMI ID for all EC2 instances. You can create an AWS Config rule (e.g., a custom Lambda rule or a managed rule like 'ec2-instance-managed-by-systems-manager') to detect non-compliant instances, and then use AWS Config auto-remediation with Systems Manager Automation documents to terminate or replace them. This directly enforces compliance by both detecting and remediating violations.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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