- A
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail records API calls, not network traffic analysis.
- B
VPC Flow Logs
Why wrong: VPC Flow Logs show traffic but do not provide IP reputation.
- C
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why wrong: Trusted Advisor does not provide IP reputation checks.
- D
Amazon GuardDuty
GuardDuty uses threat intelligence to detect communication with known malicious IPs.
Question 970 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. 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 investigating a potential compromise. The engineer notices that an EC2 instance is sending outbound traffic to an unknown IP address on port 443. The engineer needs to determine if the instance is communicating with a known command and control (C2) server. Which AWS service can the engineer use to check the reputation of the destination IP address?
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
✓
Amazon GuardDuty
Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that continuously monitors for malicious or unauthorized behavior, including communication with known command and control (C2) servers. It uses threat intelligence feeds, such as those from AWS and third-party partners, to check the reputation of destination IP addresses and alert on suspicious outbound traffic. In this scenario, GuardDuty can directly identify if the EC2 instance is communicating with a known C2 server by analyzing VPC Flow Logs, DNS logs, and other data sources.
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 CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail records API calls, not network traffic analysis.
- ✗
VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs show traffic but do not provide IP reputation.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
Trusted Advisor does not provide IP reputation checks.
- ✓
Amazon GuardDuty
Why this is correct
GuardDuty uses threat intelligence to detect communication with known malicious IPs.
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 often confuse VPC Flow Logs (which only capture raw network metadata) with a security analysis service like GuardDuty, assuming that flow logs alone can determine IP reputation without additional threat intelligence integration.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
VPC Flow Logs show traffic but do not provide IP reputation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GuardDuty integrates with multiple threat intelligence sources, including the AWS Security Feed and third-party feeds like Proofpoint and CrowdStrike, to maintain a dynamic list of known malicious IPs and domains. It also uses machine learning models to detect anomalous outbound traffic patterns, such as beaconing to a C2 server, even if the IP is not in a known threat feed. In a real-world scenario, GuardDuty can correlate outbound traffic on port 443 with DNS query logs to identify domain generation algorithm (DGA) activity, which is a common C2 technique.
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 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
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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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: Amazon GuardDuty — Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that continuously monitors for malicious or unauthorized behavior, including communication with known command and control (C2) servers. It uses threat intelligence feeds, such as those from AWS and third-party partners, to check the reputation of destination IP addresses and alert on suspicious outbound traffic. In this scenario, GuardDuty can directly identify if the EC2 instance is communicating with a known C2 server by analyzing VPC Flow Logs, DNS logs, and other data sources.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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