SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
A company wants to monitor unauthorized API calls in their AWS account. Which TWO AWS services can provide real-time alerting on such events?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume that only CloudTrail can monitor unauthorized API calls because it logs all API events, overlooking GuardDuty's ability to detect suspicious API activity through anomaly detection and threat intelligence. Both services can provide real-time alerting on unauthorized API calls, but via different mechanisms: CloudTrail via CloudWatch alarms on specific API error codes, and GuardDuty via findings based on unusual API patterns.
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
✓
AWS CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail (B) is correct because it records every API call made in the account as management and data events, and when combined with CloudWatch Logs metric filters and alarms it delivers real-time alerting on unauthorized or suspicious API activity. Amazon GuardDuty (C) is correct because it continuously analyzes CloudTrail management events, VPC Flow Logs, and DNS logs with threat intelligence and machine learning to detect anomalous or unauthorized API calls and generate findings in near real time. AWS Config (A) is not designed for real-time alerting on API calls; it evaluates resource configuration compliance and records configuration changes, not API invocation events. AWS Trusted Advisor (D) provides periodic best-practice checks and recommendations, not real-time monitoring of API activity. Amazon Inspector (E) is a vulnerability management service that scans EC2 instances, container images, and Lambda functions for software vulnerabilities and network exposure, not API call monitoring.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configuration compliance and records changes, but does not deliver real-time alerts on API activity. It is tempting because it does surface configuration drift and non-compliant resources, yet unauthorised API calls are detected by CloudTrail paired with CloudWatch or EventBridge.
- ✓
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail records every API call as a management event, capturing the identity, source IP and error code. Filtering for AccessDenied errors lets you detect unauthorised calls, and delivering trails to CloudWatch Logs enables real-time metric filters and alarms.
- ✓
Amazon GuardDuty
Why this is correct
GuardDuty continuously analyses CloudTrail management events, VPC Flow Logs and DNS logs with threat intelligence and machine learning, raising findings for suspicious API activity such as credential compromise or reconnaissance, which publish to EventBridge for real-time alerting.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
Trusted Advisor reports cost, performance, security and quota recommendations on a periodic basis; it does not ingest CloudTrail management events or deliver real-time alerts on unauthorised API calls. It would be the right pick for identifying idle resources or exposed access keys.
- ✗
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector continuously scans EC2 instances, container images and Lambda functions for software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure; it never evaluates CloudTrail API activity, so it cannot alert on unauthorised calls. It would be correct for detecting missing patches or vulnerable packages.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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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.