- A
Create a Lambda function in each member account that is triggered by GuardDuty findings and modifies the security group.
Why wrong: This approach is less scalable and harder to manage than using StackSets and cross-account roles.
- B
Create a single IAM role in the security account that has permissions to modify security groups in all member accounts.
Why wrong: A single role in the security account cannot have permissions across accounts without cross-account trust relationships.
- C
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy an IAM role in each member account with permissions to modify security groups. Then, in the security account, configure the Systems Manager Automation document to assume that role when running the isolation step.
StackSets deploy the role across all accounts, and the automation assumes the role to perform cross-account actions.
- D
Modify the IAM role used by Systems Manager Automation in the security account to include permissions to modify security groups in all member accounts.
Why wrong: IAM roles are account-specific; a role in the security account cannot directly modify resources in member accounts without cross-account trust.
SCS-C02 Threat Detection and Incident Response Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 financial services company uses a multi-account AWS organization with a centralized security account. The security team has enabled Amazon GuardDuty in all accounts and configured it to send findings to the security account via AWS Organizations. The team also uses AWS Security Hub in the security account to aggregate findings. They have set up automated response using AWS Systems Manager Automation documents to isolate compromised EC2 instances by applying a security group that denies all traffic. However, during a recent incident, the automation failed because the Systems Automation document did not have permission to modify the security group in the member account. The security team needs to design a solution that allows the security account to automatically isolate instances in any member account. What should they do?
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
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy an IAM role in each member account with permissions to modify security groups. Then, in the security account, configure the Systems Manager Automation document to assume that role when running the isolation step.
Option C is correct because it uses AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy an IAM role in each member account with the necessary permissions to modify security groups. The Systems Manager Automation document in the security account can then assume this role via a cross-account IAM role assumption, allowing it to isolate EC2 instances in any member account without requiring a single monolithic role or per-account Lambda functions.
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.
- ✗
Create a Lambda function in each member account that is triggered by GuardDuty findings and modifies the security group.
Why it's wrong here
This approach is less scalable and harder to manage than using StackSets and cross-account roles.
- ✗
Create a single IAM role in the security account that has permissions to modify security groups in all member accounts.
Why it's wrong here
A single role in the security account cannot have permissions across accounts without cross-account trust relationships.
- ✓
Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy an IAM role in each member account with permissions to modify security groups. Then, in the security account, configure the Systems Manager Automation document to assume that role when running the isolation step.
Why this is correct
StackSets deploy the role across all accounts, and the automation assumes the role to perform cross-account actions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Modify the IAM role used by Systems Manager Automation in the security account to include permissions to modify security groups in all member accounts.
Why it's wrong here
IAM roles are account-specific; a role in the security account cannot directly modify resources in member accounts without cross-account trust.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume a single IAM role in the security account can be granted permissions across all member accounts via resource-based policies, but in reality, cross-account access requires a role in the target account that trusts the source account, not just permissions on the source role.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Systems Manager Automation documents can perform cross-account actions by using the `aws:executeScript` or `aws:executeAwsApi` actions with the `assumeRole` parameter, which allows the automation to assume an IAM role in the target account. CloudFormation StackSets are ideal for deploying identical IAM roles across multiple accounts in an AWS Organization, ensuring each member account has a role with a trust policy that allows the security account's automation role to assume it. This pattern is commonly used in centralized security architectures to maintain a single point of automation while respecting account boundaries.
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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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.
- →
Threat Detection and Incident Response — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Threat Detection and Incident Response practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SCS-C02 questions
1,748 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SCS-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SCS-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Threat Detection and Incident Response practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Threat Detection and Incident Response.
Security Logging and Monitoring practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Security Logging and Monitoring.
Identity and Access Management practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Identity and Access Management.
Management and Security Governance practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Management and Security Governance.
Infrastructure Security practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Infrastructure Security.
Data Protection practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Data Protection.
SCS-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 fundamentals.
SCS-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 scenario.
SCS-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free SCS-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Threat Detection and Incident Response — This question tests Threat Detection and Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy an IAM role in each member account with permissions to modify security groups. Then, in the security account, configure the Systems Manager Automation document to assume that role when running the isolation step. — Option C is correct because it uses AWS CloudFormation StackSets to deploy an IAM role in each member account with the necessary permissions to modify security groups. The Systems Manager Automation document in the security account can then assume this role via a cross-account IAM role assumption, allowing it to isolate EC2 instances in any member account without requiring a single monolithic role or per-account Lambda functions.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More SCS-C02 practice questions
- A company uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to enforce that all Amazon S3 buckets a…
- A company is designing a multi-tier web application on AWS. The web tier must be accessible from the internet, but the a…
- A company is migrating a legacy application to AWS. The application requires two-way communication between the web serve…
- A security engineer is troubleshooting connectivity issues between an Amazon EC2 instance in a VPC and an on-premises se…
- A security engineer is reviewing the SQS queue policy shown in the exhibit. The queue is subscribed to an SNS topic in t…
- A company uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that all IAM users in the pro…
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.