- A
Packet payload
Why wrong: Not captured.
- B
Source IP address
Captured.
- C
IAM user ID
Why wrong: Not captured.
- D
Destination port
Captured.
- E
DNS query name
Why wrong: Not captured.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is destination port, along with source IP address, as these are two of the many attributes captured in VPC Flow Logs. VPC Flow Logs record metadata about IP traffic flowing through network interfaces, and the standard flow log record format includes fields such as the source IP address (srcaddr), destination IP address (dstaddr), source port (srcport), and destination port (dstport), among others. The destination port is particularly important because it identifies the specific application or service being targeted, such as port 443 for HTTPS or port 22 for SSH. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of what network metadata is available for security analysis and threat detection—a common trap is confusing captured metadata with full packet payloads, which VPC Flow Logs do not include. A helpful memory tip is to remember that flow logs capture the "five-tuple" of network traffic: source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port, and protocol, so any field within that tuple is a valid attribute.
SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. 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.
A security engineer is configuring VPC Flow Logs to capture network traffic metadata. Which TWO attributes can be captured in VPC Flow Logs? (Choose TWO.)
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
Source IP address
VPC Flow Logs capture metadata about network traffic, including the source IP address (option B) and destination port (option D). The source IP address identifies the origin of the traffic, while the destination port indicates the application or service being targeted. These are standard fields in the flow log record format, as defined by AWS for capturing IP traffic metadata.
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.
- ✗
Packet payload
Why it's wrong here
Not captured.
- ✓
Source IP address
Why this is correct
Captured.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
IAM user ID
Why it's wrong here
Not captured.
- ✓
Destination port
Why this is correct
Captured.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
DNS query name
Why it's wrong here
Not captured.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse network metadata with application-layer data, mistakenly thinking VPC Flow Logs can capture packet payloads or DNS query names, which are not part of the flow log record format.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPC Flow Logs use the standard flow log record format defined by AWS, which includes fields like srcaddr (source IP), dstport (destination port), protocol, packets, and bytes. The logs are generated by the VPC's network interfaces and are published to Amazon CloudWatch Logs or Amazon S3. A real-world scenario where this matters is troubleshooting connectivity issues: by analyzing source IPs and destination ports, you can identify unauthorized access attempts or misconfigured security groups without exposing sensitive payload data.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
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: Source IP address — VPC Flow Logs capture metadata about network traffic, including the source IP address (option B) and destination port (option D). The source IP address identifies the origin of the traffic, while the destination port indicates the application or service being targeted. These are standard fields in the flow log record format, as defined by AWS for capturing IP traffic metadata.
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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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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