Quick Answer
The answer is AWS CloudTrail. This service is specifically designed to record API calls to S3 for compliance by capturing detailed event history of every action taken on your buckets, including who made the request, when it was made, and from which IP address. For the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between logging, monitoring, and security detection services—a common trap is confusing CloudTrail with AWS Config, which tracks resource configuration changes, not API calls. Remember that CloudTrail is your audit trail for all API activity, while GuardDuty detects threats and Inspector scans for vulnerabilities. A useful memory tip: think of CloudTrail as the “call log” for your S3 buckets—it records every API call, making it the go-to service for compliance logging.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. 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 company requires that all access to its S3 buckets be logged for compliance. Which AWS service should be used to record API calls to S3?
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty detects threats, not API calls.
Amazon Inspector
Why wrong: Amazon Inspector assesses vulnerabilities, not API calls.
AWS Config
Why wrong: AWS Config tracks configuration changes, not API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
CloudTrail records API calls for auditing.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail records API calls for auditing. Option A is wrong because AWS Config tracks resource configuration changes. Option B is wrong because Amazon Inspector assesses vulnerabilities. Option D is wrong because Amazon GuardDuty detects threats.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty detects threats, not API calls.
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector assesses vulnerabilities, not API calls.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config tracks configuration changes, not API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail records API calls for auditing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Identity and Access Management — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS CloudTrail — AWS CloudTrail records API calls for auditing. Option A is wrong because AWS Config tracks resource configuration changes. Option B is wrong because Amazon Inspector assesses vulnerabilities. Option D is wrong because Amazon GuardDuty detects threats.
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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