Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall, which is the correct choice because it captures and logs all DNS queries from EC2 instances by integrating directly with the VPC’s default DNS resolver, automatically forwarding outbound DNS traffic to Amazon S3 or CloudWatch Logs without requiring any agents or changes to instance configurations. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to meet a security requirement for threat analysis with minimal operational overhead—a common trap is choosing third-party agents or complex network appliances, but Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall handles this natively. Remember the memory tip: “DNS Firewall logs without a firewall agent” to recall that it captures queries via the resolver, not by inspecting packets.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. 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 has a security requirement to capture all DNS queries made by EC2 instances for threat analysis. Which AWS service can provide this capability with minimal configuration?
VPC Flow Logs
Why wrong: VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic metadata, not DNS query content.
Amazon Inspector
Why wrong: Amazon Inspector is for vulnerability assessment, not DNS logging.
Amazon Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall
Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall can log and filter DNS queries.
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs AWS API calls, not DNS queries.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall
Amazon Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall can capture and log all DNS queries made by EC2 instances by enabling DNS query logging to Amazon S3 or CloudWatch Logs. This requires minimal configuration because it integrates directly with the VPC's DNS resolver, automatically capturing outbound DNS traffic without needing agents or changes to instance configurations.
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.
VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic metadata, not DNS query content.
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector is for vulnerability assessment, not DNS logging.
Amazon Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs AWS API calls, not DNS queries.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse VPC Flow Logs (which capture network traffic metadata) with DNS query logging, not realizing that DNS queries are application-layer (Layer 7) and require a DNS-specific logging mechanism like Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall's query logging feature.
Detailed technical explanation
Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall works by intercepting DNS queries at the VPC resolver level (the .2 resolver), applying domain list rules, and optionally logging all queries via the 'query logging' feature. This is distinct from Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall's firewall rules, which block or allow queries; the logging capability captures every query regardless of action, enabling threat analysis without requiring a separate DNS proxy or agent. In a real-world scenario, this allows security teams to detect DNS-based exfiltration or C2 communication by analyzing query patterns against threat intelligence feeds.
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
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FAQ
Threat Detection and Incident Response — This question tests Threat Detection and Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall — Amazon Route 53 Resolver DNS Firewall can capture and log all DNS queries made by EC2 instances by enabling DNS query logging to Amazon S3 or CloudWatch Logs. This requires minimal configuration because it integrates directly with the VPC's DNS resolver, automatically capturing outbound DNS traffic without needing agents or changes to instance configurations.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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