Quick Answer
The answer is AWS CloudTrail, which is the correct choice because it serves as the definitive audit service for recording all API activity across your AWS environment. CloudTrail captures every API call’s identity, source IP, timestamp, and request parameters, creating an immutable log that directly enables you to detect unauthorized API calls by comparing expected behavior against recorded events. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of detective controls and logging fundamentals—a common trap is confusing CloudTrail with Amazon GuardDuty or AWS Config, but remember that CloudTrail is purely for recording API activity, not for threat detection or resource configuration tracking. For memory, think of CloudTrail as the “black box flight recorder” for every API action: if you need to know who did what and when, CloudTrail is your go-to service.
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 detect unauthorized API calls in an AWS account. Which AWS service should be used to record and monitor API activity for auditing?
AWS CloudTrail
CloudTrail records API activity for auditing.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs stores logs but does not record API calls.
AWS Config
Why wrong: Config evaluates resource configurations, not API calls.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty is a threat detection service.
Answer choices
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 is the correct service because it is specifically designed to record API activity across AWS services, capturing details such as the identity of the caller, the time of the call, the source IP address, and the request parameters. This audit log is essential for detecting unauthorized API calls, as it provides a complete history of all management and data plane operations for security analysis and compliance.
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.
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail records API activity for auditing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs stores logs but does not record API calls.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
Config evaluates resource configurations, not API calls.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty is a threat detection service.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse CloudWatch Logs (which stores logs) with CloudTrail (which records API activity), or they assume GuardDuty's threat detection capability includes native API logging, when in fact GuardDuty consumes CloudTrail logs rather than generating them.
Detailed technical explanation
CloudTrail delivers log files to an S3 bucket in JSON format, with each event containing fields like 'eventSource', 'eventName', 'userIdentity', and 'requestParameters'. A key subtlety is that CloudTrail can log both management events (e.g., CreateVpc) and data events (e.g., GetObject on S3), but data events must be explicitly enabled and incur additional costs. In a real-world scenario, a security engineer might use CloudTrail to trace an unauthorized 'DeleteBucket' call back to a compromised IAM user by examining the 'sourceIPAddress' and 'userAgent' fields.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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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: AWS CloudTrail — AWS CloudTrail is the correct service because it is specifically designed to record API activity across AWS services, capturing details such as the identity of the caller, the time of the call, the source IP address, and the request parameters. This audit log is essential for detecting unauthorized API calls, as it provides a complete history of all management and data plane operations for security analysis and compliance.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A security engineer needs to ensure that all API calls made in an AWS account are captured and retained for auditing purposes. The engineer must be able to query the logs for specific user activity over the past 90 days. Which AWS service should the engineer use to meet these requirements?
easyWhy A: AWS CloudTrail is the correct service because it records all API calls made in an AWS account, including the identity, source IP, request parameters, and response elements. By default, CloudTrail stores event history for the last 90 days, which can be queried via the Event History console or API, meeting the requirement to query logs for specific user activity over the past 90 days without additional configuration.
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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