Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon Athena. This service is correct because it allows you to analyze historical network traffic patterns by running SQL queries directly against VPC Flow Logs stored in Amazon S3, turning raw IP traffic data into actionable insights. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this pairing tests your understanding that VPC Flow Logs capture metadata about network traffic, but they require a query engine like Athena for retrospective analysis—a common trap is confusing CloudTrail (which logs API calls, not network flows) or GuardDuty (which focuses on real-time threats) with historical analysis. To remember this, think of Athena as the librarian who reads the flow log books stored in S3, while CloudWatch Logs merely shelves them without deep querying. A useful memory tip: if you need to ask "what happened on the network last week," you need Athena to query the flow logs.
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 investigating a potential security incident. Which TWO AWS services can be used to analyze historical network traffic patterns? (Choose TWO.)
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty is for real-time threat detection, not historical analysis.
VPC Flow Logs
VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic metadata.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs can store logs but is not optimized for analysis.
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail records API calls, not network traffic.
Amazon Athena
Athena can query VPC Flow Logs stored in S3.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
VPC Flow Logs
Option A and Option D are correct. VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic information, and Amazon Athena can query VPC Flow Logs stored in S3. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail records API calls, not network traffic. Option C is wrong because GuardDuty is for real-time threat detection. Option E is wrong because CloudWatch Logs can store flow logs but is not primarily for analysis.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty is for real-time threat detection, not historical analysis.
VPC Flow Logs
Why this is correct
VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic metadata.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs can store logs but is not optimized for analysis.
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail records API calls, not network traffic.
Amazon Athena
Why this is correct
Athena can query VPC Flow Logs stored in S3.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
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
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Security Logging and Monitoring — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: VPC Flow Logs — Option A and Option D are correct. VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic information, and Amazon Athena can query VPC Flow Logs stored in S3. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail records API calls, not network traffic. Option C is wrong because GuardDuty is for real-time threat detection. Option E is wrong because CloudWatch Logs can store flow logs but is not primarily for analysis.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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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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