SCS-C02 Threat Detection and Incident Response Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
VPC Flow Logs entry:
2 123456789010 eni-1234567890abcdef 10.0.1.5 203.0.113.50 3389 443 6 10 840 1625097600 1625097660 ACCEPT OK
A security engineer is analyzing the VPC Flow Logs entry in the exhibit. The log shows traffic from an internal IP to an external IP. Which potential security concern should the engineer investigate?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
An EC2 instance is attempting to connect to an external host on port 3389 (RDP).
The VPC Flow Logs entry shows outbound traffic from an internal IP to an external IP on destination port 3389, which is the default port for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). RDP outbound from an EC2 instance to an external host is a security concern because it could indicate an attacker using the instance as a pivot point to connect to an external command-and-control server or to exfiltrate data via an RDP tunnel. The log direction (src internal, dst external) and port 3389 specifically point to an outbound RDP attempt, not inbound scanning or DDoS.
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.
✗
The instance is participating in a DDoS attack against the external IP.
Why it's wrong here
The log shows a single accepted connection, not a flood of traffic.
✓
An EC2 instance is attempting to connect to an external host on port 3389 (RDP).
Why this is correct
Outbound RDP traffic from an internal instance is suspicious and may indicate data exfiltration or a compromised machine.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An external host is scanning the internal network on port 443.
Why it's wrong here
The log shows source 10.0.1.5 and destination 203.0.113.50, indicating outbound traffic.
✗
The security group allows inbound RDP from 0.0.0.0/0.
Why it's wrong here
The flow log does not show security group rules.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates focus on the port number (3389) and assume it is about inbound RDP from the internet, but the flow direction (src internal, dst external) indicates outbound traffic, which is a different security concern related to egress filtering and potential command-and-control activity.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The log shows a single accepted connection, not a flood of traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPC Flow Logs capture metadata about IP traffic, including source/destination IPs, ports, protocols, and action (ACCEPT/REJECT), but not payload contents. Outbound RDP (port 3389) from an internal instance is often blocked by default in enterprise environments because it can be used for lateral movement or data exfiltration; the AWS default security group does not restrict outbound traffic, so this traffic would be allowed unless custom outbound rules are applied. In real-world incident response, an outbound RDP connection from an EC2 instance to an external IP is a strong indicator of compromise, as attackers frequently use RDP to maintain persistence or tunnel traffic.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Threat Detection and Incident Response — This question tests Threat Detection and Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: An EC2 instance is attempting to connect to an external host on port 3389 (RDP). — The VPC Flow Logs entry shows outbound traffic from an internal IP to an external IP on destination port 3389, which is the default port for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). RDP outbound from an EC2 instance to an external host is a security concern because it could indicate an attacker using the instance as a pivot point to connect to an external command-and-control server or to exfiltrate data via an RDP tunnel. The log direction (src internal, dst external) and port 3389 specifically point to an outbound RDP attempt, not inbound scanning or DDoS.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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