The answer is to enable S3 Object Lock with Compliance retention mode on the bucket. This is the only option that enforces true immutability, because Compliance mode prevents any user—including the root user—from deleting or overwriting objects until the retention period expires, and the retention mode itself cannot be changed or removed. For the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of the difference between access controls and legal holds: while MFA Delete can be disabled by root, and bucket policies can be altered, Object Lock in Compliance mode creates a hard, unbreakable write-once-read-many (WORM) barrier. A common trap is confusing Compliance mode with Governance mode, which can be overridden by users with appropriate permissions. Memory tip: think “Compliance = Cannot be changed, not even by the CEO or root.”
SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. 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 wants to ensure that all API calls made to their AWS account are logged and immutable. They have enabled AWS CloudTrail and are delivering logs to an S3 bucket. The security team requires that logs cannot be deleted or modified by anyone, including the root user. What should they do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable S3 Object Lock with Compliance retention mode on the bucket.
Option A is correct because S3 Object Lock with retention mode Compliance prevents any user, including root, from deleting or overwriting objects. Option B is wrong because MFA Delete prevents deletion but can be disabled by root. Option C is wrong because bucket policies can be changed by root. Option D is wrong because versioning alone does not prevent deletion of versions.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Enable S3 Object Lock with Compliance retention mode on the bucket.
Why this is correct
Compliance mode prevents any deletion even by root.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Versioning preserves previous versions but does not prevent deletion of current version.
✗
Add a bucket policy that denies s3:DeleteObject for all principals.
Why it's wrong here
Bucket policies do not apply to root by default.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable S3 Object Lock with Compliance retention mode on the bucket. — Option A is correct because S3 Object Lock with retention mode Compliance prevents any user, including root, from deleting or overwriting objects. Option B is wrong because MFA Delete prevents deletion but can be disabled by root. Option C is wrong because bucket policies can be changed by root. Option D is wrong because versioning alone does not prevent deletion of versions.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 wants to ensure that all API calls in their AWS account are logged and immutable. Which TWO actions should be taken? (Choose TWO.)
hard
A.Enable MFA delete on the S3 bucket
B.Use AWS Config rules to monitor CloudTrail configuration
✓ C.Enable S3 Object Lock on the CloudTrail S3 bucket
D.Encrypt the S3 bucket with AWS KMS
✓ E.Enable AWS CloudTrail for all regions
Why C: CloudTrail logs API calls. To ensure immutability, S3 Object Lock prevents deletion or overwriting. MFA delete adds protection. Config does not prevent log tampering. KMS encrypts but does not prevent deletion.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.