- A
The S3 bucket has versioning enabled, which causes log delivery failures.
Why wrong: Enabling versioning on the S3 bucket does not cause log delivery failures. ALB access logs can be written to versioned buckets without issue.
- B
The bucket policy does not allow the ALB to write logs.
This is the most likely cause. Despite the stem stating the bucket policy grants write access, the policy may be missing specific actions like s3:PutObject or may have incorrect conditions. The ALB service principal must be allowed to write objects to the bucket.
- C
The ALB is not configured to send logs to the S3 bucket.
Why wrong: The stem clearly states the ALB is configured to deliver logs every 5 minutes, so logging is enabled. Missing logs are not due to lack of configuration.
- D
The S3 bucket is in a different AWS region than the ALB.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because the stem explicitly states the S3 bucket is in the same region as the ALB. Cross-region log delivery is not supported, but it is not the issue here.
SCS-C02 ALB Access Logs Delivery Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. A key principle to apply: aLB Access Logs Delivery. 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 company runs a critical application on Amazon EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The security team has implemented a centralized logging solution using Amazon S3 for ALB access logs and AWS CloudTrail logs. Recently, the team noticed that some ALB access logs are missing for certain time periods. The ALB is configured to deliver logs every 5 minutes to an S3 bucket with a bucket policy that grants the ALB service principal write access. The CloudTrail logs show no errors related to the ALB or S3. The S3 bucket is in the same region as the ALB. What is the most likely cause of the missing logs?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
The bucket policy does not allow the ALB to write logs.
The most likely cause of missing ALB access logs is a misconfigured bucket policy. Although the stem states the bucket policy grants the ALB service principal write access, the policy may be missing specific actions (e.g., s3:PutObject) or may have incorrect conditions that prevent log delivery. CloudTrail logs may not record S3 bucket policy evaluation failures unless they are explicit deny. Option A is incorrect because enabling versioning does not cause delivery failures. Option C is incorrect because the ALB is configured to deliver logs every 5 minutes. Option D is incorrect because the bucket is explicitly stated to be in the same region as the ALB.
Key principle: ALB Access Logs Delivery
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 S3 bucket has versioning enabled, which causes log delivery failures.
Why it's wrong here
Enabling versioning on the S3 bucket does not cause log delivery failures. ALB access logs can be written to versioned buckets without issue.
- ✓
The bucket policy does not allow the ALB to write logs.
Why this is correct
This is the most likely cause. Despite the stem stating the bucket policy grants write access, the policy may be missing specific actions like s3:PutObject or may have incorrect conditions. The ALB service principal must be allowed to write objects to the bucket.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
ALB Access Logs Delivery
- ✗
The ALB is not configured to send logs to the S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
The stem clearly states the ALB is configured to deliver logs every 5 minutes, so logging is enabled. Missing logs are not due to lack of configuration.
- ✗
The S3 bucket is in a different AWS region than the ALB.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the stem explicitly states the S3 bucket is in the same region as the ALB. Cross-region log delivery is not supported, but it is not the issue here.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often assume that if the bucket policy is explicitly stated to grant write access, it must be correct. However, the policy may still be missing the necessary actions (e.g., s3:PutObject) or the principal might not be correctly specified for the ALB service.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- ALB Access Logs Delivery
- S3 Bucket Policy
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
ALB Access Logs Delivery
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review aLB Access Logs Delivery, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Security Logging and Monitoring — study guide chapter
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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 — ALB Access Logs Delivery.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The bucket policy does not allow the ALB to write logs. — The most likely cause of missing ALB access logs is a misconfigured bucket policy. Although the stem states the bucket policy grants the ALB service principal write access, the policy may be missing specific actions (e.g., s3:PutObject) or may have incorrect conditions that prevent log delivery. CloudTrail logs may not record S3 bucket policy evaluation failures unless they are explicit deny. Option A is incorrect because enabling versioning does not cause delivery failures. Option C is incorrect because the ALB is configured to deliver logs every 5 minutes. Option D is incorrect because the bucket is explicitly stated to be in the same region as the ALB.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review aLB Access Logs Delivery, then practise related SCS-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
ALB Access Logs Delivery
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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