- A
AWS Config rules with an SNS topic
Why wrong: Config evaluates resource configurations, not API calls.
- B
Amazon GuardDuty with an SNS topic
Why wrong: GuardDuty detects suspicious behavior, not specific API calls.
- C
CloudTrail with CloudWatch Logs, metric filter, alarm, and SNS topic
Correct end-to-end solution.
- D
CloudTrail with Lambda function invocation
Why wrong: Lambda cannot be invoked directly from CloudTrail; needs CloudWatch Logs.
Question 1,328 of 1,748
Alerting on IAM Access Key Creation Using CloudTrail and CloudWatch
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 company's security team is investigating a potential security incident. They have enabled CloudTrail and CloudWatch Logs. They want to receive real-time alerts when an IAM user creates a new access key. Which combination of services should be used to achieve this?
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
✓
CloudTrail with CloudWatch Logs, metric filter, alarm, and SNS topic
Option C is correct because CloudTrail logs API calls like CreateAccessKey to CloudWatch Logs. A metric filter on the event name 'CreateAccessKey' triggers a CloudWatch alarm that publishes to an SNS topic, enabling real-time notifications. This is the standard AWS architecture for real-time alerting on specific IAM actions.
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.
- ✗
AWS Config rules with an SNS topic
Why it's wrong here
Config evaluates resource configurations, not API calls.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty with an SNS topic
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty detects suspicious behavior, not specific API calls.
- ✓
CloudTrail with CloudWatch Logs, metric filter, alarm, and SNS topic
Why this is correct
Correct end-to-end solution.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
CloudTrail with Lambda function invocation
Why it's wrong here
Lambda cannot be invoked directly from CloudTrail; needs CloudWatch Logs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse AWS Config (which monitors configuration changes) with CloudTrail (which records API calls), or assume GuardDuty covers all security events, but GuardDuty does not provide granular, custom alerts on specific IAM actions like access key creation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudTrail delivers JSON logs to CloudWatch Logs, where a metric filter uses pattern matching (e.g., `{ ($.eventName = "CreateAccessKey") }`) to count occurrences. The CloudWatch alarm evaluates this metric against a threshold (e.g., >=1) and transitions to ALARM state, publishing to an SNS topic. In a real-world scenario, this setup can alert on privileged actions like root account usage or unauthorized key creation within seconds, but note that CloudTrail log delivery has a typical latency of 5-15 minutes, so 'real-time' is near-real-time.
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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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: CloudTrail with CloudWatch Logs, metric filter, alarm, and SNS topic — Option C is correct because CloudTrail logs API calls like CreateAccessKey to CloudWatch Logs. A metric filter on the event name 'CreateAccessKey' triggers a CloudWatch alarm that publishes to an SNS topic, enabling real-time notifications. This is the standard AWS architecture for real-time alerting on specific IAM actions.
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: Jul 4, 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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