- A
Enable VPC Flow Logs to capture all access to the bucket.
Why wrong: Flow Logs capture network traffic, not object content.
- B
Enable S3 Object Lock on the bucket.
Why wrong: Object Lock prevents deletion, not malware scanning.
- C
Configure Amazon CloudWatch Logs to monitor S3 access logs.
Why wrong: Monitoring logs does not scan objects.
- D
Use S3 event notifications to invoke an AWS Lambda function that runs a malware scanning solution.
Lambda can process each object as it is uploaded.
Question 558 of 1,748
Implementing Malware Scanning for S3 with Lambda and Event Notifications
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. 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 security engineer needs to ensure that all objects uploaded to an S3 bucket are automatically scanned for malware before being made accessible to users. Which solution is MOST appropriate?
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 S3 event notifications to invoke an AWS Lambda function that runs a malware scanning solution.
Option D is correct because S3 event notifications can be configured to trigger an AWS Lambda function upon object creation, allowing the Lambda function to run a malware scanning solution (e.g., using ClamAV or an AWS Marketplace partner) before the object is made accessible. This serverless approach ensures automated, near-real-time scanning without manual intervention, and the Lambda function can quarantine or delete malicious objects by adjusting S3 bucket policies or object ACLs.
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.
- ✗
Enable VPC Flow Logs to capture all access to the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Flow Logs capture network traffic, not object content.
- ✗
Enable S3 Object Lock on the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Object Lock prevents deletion, not malware scanning.
- ✗
Configure Amazon CloudWatch Logs to monitor S3 access logs.
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring logs does not scan objects.
- ✓
Use S3 event notifications to invoke an AWS Lambda function that runs a malware scanning solution.
Why this is correct
Lambda can process each object as it is uploaded.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse logging/monitoring services (VPC Flow Logs, CloudWatch Logs) with active security controls, failing to recognize that malware scanning requires compute-based content inspection, not just metadata or access logging.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, S3 event notifications use Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) or Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS) to asynchronously invoke the Lambda function, which receives the object key and bucket name in the event payload. The Lambda function then downloads the object (using S3 GetObject), scans it in memory or temporary storage, and can automatically delete or move the object to a quarantine bucket using S3 CopyObject or DeleteObject APIs. A real-world scenario involves scanning large files where Lambda timeout (15 minutes) may require chunked scanning or using AWS Fargate for longer-running scans.
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 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.
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: Use S3 event notifications to invoke an AWS Lambda function that runs a malware scanning solution. — Option D is correct because S3 event notifications can be configured to trigger an AWS Lambda function upon object creation, allowing the Lambda function to run a malware scanning solution (e.g., using ClamAV or an AWS Marketplace partner) before the object is made accessible. This serverless approach ensures automated, near-real-time scanning without manual intervention, and the Lambda function can quarantine or delete malicious objects by adjusting S3 bucket policies or object ACLs.
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
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