Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon CloudWatch Agent, which is the required service for collecting OS logs from EC2 instances and sending them to CloudWatch Logs. This agent runs directly on the instance to capture system-level logs such as syslog, Windows Event Log, and custom log files, then streams them to CloudWatch for analysis and alerting. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of the separation between infrastructure monitoring (CloudWatch) and API auditing (CloudTrail). A common trap is confusing CloudTrail, which logs API calls, with CloudWatch Logs, which collects OS and application logs—remember that CloudTrail never touches the operating system. Another distractor is VPC Flow Logs, which capture network traffic metadata, not OS-level events. To collect and analyze OS logs from EC2 instances, you must install the CloudWatch Agent; no other AWS service can natively read OS log files. Memory tip: think of the CloudWatch Agent as the “on-host” collector—it lives on the instance, while CloudTrail and VPC Flow Logs are “off-host” services that never see the OS.
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 needs to collect and analyze operating system logs from EC2 instances. Which TWO services are required?
Amazon VPC Flow Logs
Why wrong: VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic metadata, not OS logs.
AWS Config
Why wrong: AWS Config evaluates resource configurations, not OS logs.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
CloudWatch Logs stores and analyzes log data from the CloudWatch agent.
Amazon CloudWatch Agent
The CloudWatch agent collects OS logs and metrics from EC2 instances.
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs API calls, not OS logs.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Options B and E are correct. The CloudWatch agent must be installed on the EC2 instance to collect OS logs and send them to CloudWatch Logs. Option A is incorrect because CloudTrail logs API calls, not OS logs. Option C is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic, not OS logs. Option D is incorrect because AWS Config does not collect OS logs.
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.
Amazon VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic metadata, not OS logs.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configurations, not OS logs.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why this is correct
CloudWatch Logs stores and analyzes log data from the CloudWatch agent.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon CloudWatch Agent
Why this is correct
The CloudWatch agent collects OS logs and metrics from EC2 instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls, not OS logs.
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: Amazon CloudWatch Logs — Options B and E are correct. The CloudWatch agent must be installed on the EC2 instance to collect OS logs and send them to CloudWatch Logs. Option A is incorrect because CloudTrail logs API calls, not OS logs. Option C is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic, not OS logs. Option D is incorrect because AWS Config does not collect OS logs.
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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