Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Config. This service is correct because it continuously evaluates your AWS resources, including security groups, against desired configuration rules you define, and can trigger alerts via Amazon SNS or AWS Lambda whenever a security group rule changes from that compliant state. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between services that monitor configuration state versus those that log API activity or detect threats. A common trap is confusing AWS Config with AWS CloudTrail: CloudTrail records who made the change and when, but it does not compare the current rule set against a desired baseline. GuardDuty focuses on malicious behavior, not configuration drift, and Security Hub aggregates findings from other services rather than performing its own direct evaluation. For a quick memory tip, think of Config as your “configuration cop” that enforces the rulebook, while CloudTrail is just the “security camera” watching the action.
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 monitor for unauthorized changes to security group rules in an AWS account. Which AWS service can evaluate security group rules against a desired configuration and alert on changes?
AWS Security Hub
Why wrong: Aggregates findings but does not directly monitor security groups.
AWS Config
Evaluates resources against desired configurations and alerts on changes.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: Threat detection, not configuration monitoring.
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: Logs API calls but does not evaluate configuration.
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 Config
AWS Config can monitor security group rules and trigger notifications when they change from the desired configuration. Option C is correct. Option A is wrong because CloudTrail logs API calls but does not evaluate configuration against a desired state. Option B is wrong because GuardDuty is for threat detection, not configuration monitoring. Option D is wrong because Security Hub aggregates findings but does not directly monitor security groups.
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.
AWS Security Hub
Why it's wrong here
Aggregates findings but does not directly monitor security groups.
AWS Config
Why this is correct
Evaluates resources against desired configurations and alerts on changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
Threat detection, not configuration monitoring.
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
Logs API calls but does not evaluate configuration.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
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.
Security Logging and Monitoring — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Config — AWS Config can monitor security group rules and trigger notifications when they change from the desired configuration. Option C is correct. Option A is wrong because CloudTrail logs API calls but does not evaluate configuration against a desired state. Option B is wrong because GuardDuty is for threat detection, not configuration monitoring. Option D is wrong because Security Hub aggregates findings but does not directly monitor security groups.
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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