This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. 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 monitor for unauthorized changes to security group rules in their VPC. Which TWO AWS services can be used together to detect and alert on such changes?
AWS CloudTrail
CloudTrail logs API calls that modify security groups.
AWS Config
Config can track resource configuration changes.
VPC Flow Logs
Why wrong: Flow Logs capture network traffic, not configuration changes.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty detects threats, not configuration changes.
Amazon Macie
Why wrong: Macie is for sensitive data discovery.
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 CloudTrail
AWS Config can track changes to security group rules, and CloudTrail can log the API calls that made those changes. Both can be used to trigger alerts. Options A and C are correct. Option B is wrong because GuardDuty is for threat detection, not configuration changes. Option D is wrong because VPC Flow Logs capture traffic, not rule changes. Option E is wrong because Macie is for data classification.
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 CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs API calls that modify security groups.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Config
Why this is correct
Config can track resource configuration changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
Flow Logs capture network traffic, not configuration changes.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty detects threats, not configuration changes.
Amazon Macie
Why it's wrong here
Macie is for sensitive data discovery.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
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 — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS CloudTrail — AWS Config can track changes to security group rules, and CloudTrail can log the API calls that made those changes. Both can be used to trigger alerts. Options A and C are correct. Option B is wrong because GuardDuty is for threat detection, not configuration changes. Option D is wrong because VPC Flow Logs capture traffic, not rule changes. Option E is wrong because Macie is for data classification.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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