The answer is Amazon CloudWatch Events (now part of Amazon EventBridge) and AWS Lambda. This combination is correct because CloudWatch Events can natively capture GuardDuty findings in real-time as an event source, then trigger a Lambda function to programmatically revoke the compromised IAM user’s access keys and attach a deny-all policy, creating an automated IAM user compromise response from GuardDuty without manual intervention. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this pattern tests your understanding of event-driven incident response and the native integration between GuardDuty and CloudWatch Events; a common trap is to assume AWS Config or AWS Systems Manager handles this automation, but they lack the real-time event trigger capability. Remember the memory tip: "EventBridge catches the finding, Lambda does the binding"—the event service catches the finding, and the function binds the deny policy and revokes keys.
SCS-C02 Threat Detection and Incident Response Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. 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 is setting up automated incident response for a compromised IAM user. The engineer wants to automatically revoke the user's access keys and attach a deny-all policy when a GuardDuty finding of type 'UnauthorizedAccess:IAMUser/InstanceCredentialExfiltration' is generated. Which services should be used to achieve this automation?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Amazon CloudWatch Events and AWS Lambda
Amazon CloudWatch Events (now part of Amazon EventBridge) can capture GuardDuty findings in real-time and trigger a Lambda function to revoke IAM user access keys and attach a deny-all policy. This is the native, event-driven pattern for automated incident response to GuardDuty findings, as CloudWatch Events directly supports GuardDuty as an event source.
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.
✗
Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
SNS only sends notifications; it does not trigger actions automatically.
✗
AWS Config and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config does not respond to GuardDuty findings.
✓
Amazon CloudWatch Events and AWS Lambda
Why this is correct
CloudWatch Events can match GuardDuty findings and invoke Lambda.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
AWS Systems Manager Automation and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Systems Manager Automation is for EC2, not IAM users.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse CloudWatch Events with SNS or Config, not realizing that CloudWatch Events is the only service that natively integrates with GuardDuty as an event source for real-time, automated remediation workflows.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GuardDuty sends findings to CloudWatch Events as structured JSON events with a 'detail-type' of 'GuardDuty Finding'. The CloudWatch Events rule can filter on specific finding types (e.g., 'UnauthorizedAccess:IAMUser/InstanceCredentialExfiltration') using event pattern matching, then route to a Lambda function that uses the IAM API (DeleteAccessKey, PutUserPolicy) to perform remediation. This pattern ensures sub-minute response times and avoids polling or manual intervention.
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.
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: Amazon CloudWatch Events and AWS Lambda — Amazon CloudWatch Events (now part of Amazon EventBridge) can capture GuardDuty findings in real-time and trigger a Lambda function to revoke IAM user access keys and attach a deny-all policy. This is the native, event-driven pattern for automated incident response to GuardDuty findings, as CloudWatch Events directly supports GuardDuty as an event source.
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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Question Discussion
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