The answer is Amazon GuardDuty, as it is the AWS threat detection service designed to automate S3 security remediation by invoking Lambda functions. GuardDuty continuously monitors S3 access patterns for anomalies like unusual data transfers or public bucket exposure, and when it detects a threat, it generates findings that can trigger CloudWatch Events to invoke a Lambda function for automated remediation, such as modifying bucket policies or revoking public access. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of how GuardDuty’s integration with Lambda via EventBridge enables a closed-loop response workflow—a common scenario where candidates mistakenly choose AWS Config or Macie, but GuardDuty is the only service that both detects threats and can directly trigger automated remediation. A helpful memory tip: think of GuardDuty as the “guard” that spots the threat, then “duties” the Lambda to fix it.
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 configuring an AWS environment to detect and respond to potential security threats. Which AWS service can be used to automate the remediation of unwanted access to Amazon S3 buckets by invoking AWS Lambda functions?
Why wrong: AWS Config evaluates resource configurations against desired policies but does not detect threats or automate remediation based on threat findings.
B
Amazon GuardDuty
GuardDuty uses threat intelligence and machine learning to detect threats, and findings can trigger automated remediation via EventBridge and Lambda.
C
Amazon Inspector
Why wrong: Amazon Inspector is a vulnerability management service that scans for software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure, not for detecting access anomalies.
D
AWS WAF
Why wrong: AWS WAF protects web applications from common web exploits, not S3 bucket access.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Amazon GuardDuty
Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that continuously monitors for malicious activity and unauthorized behavior across AWS accounts and workloads. It can integrate with AWS Lambda functions via CloudWatch Events to automate remediation actions, such as blocking unwanted access to S3 buckets by updating bucket policies or removing public access. This makes GuardDuty the correct choice for detecting and automatically responding to security threats against S3 resources.
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
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configurations against desired policies but does not detect threats or automate remediation based on threat findings.
✓
Amazon GuardDuty
Why this is correct
GuardDuty uses threat intelligence and machine learning to detect threats, and findings can trigger automated remediation via EventBridge and Lambda.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector is a vulnerability management service that scans for software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure, not for detecting access anomalies.
✗
AWS WAF
Why it's wrong here
AWS WAF protects web applications from common web exploits, not S3 bucket access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config's ability to auto-remediate noncompliant resources (using AWS Config rules and Lambda) with GuardDuty's threat-specific detection and response, but AWS Config does not detect security threats like unauthorized access—it only enforces configuration rules.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GuardDuty uses machine learning, anomaly detection, and integrated threat intelligence (including AWS Security Hub findings and third-party feeds) to identify suspicious API calls and data access patterns, such as unusual S3 GetObject requests from unfamiliar IPs. When a finding is generated, it can be sent to Amazon EventBridge, which then triggers a Lambda function to execute a custom remediation action, like applying an S3 bucket policy that denies all access from the offending IP address. This event-driven architecture allows for near-real-time automated response without 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 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.
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 GuardDuty — Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that continuously monitors for malicious activity and unauthorized behavior across AWS accounts and workloads. It can integrate with AWS Lambda functions via CloudWatch Events to automate remediation actions, such as blocking unwanted access to S3 buckets by updating bucket policies or removing public access. This makes GuardDuty the correct choice for detecting and automatically responding to security threats against S3 resources.
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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