- A
Ensure that the CloudTrail trail is delivering logs to the correct CloudWatch Logs log group.
Why wrong: If the metric filter shows data, the logs are being delivered correctly.
- B
Verify that the CloudTrail trail is logging data events.
Why wrong: CreateAccessKey is a management event, which is logged by default.
- C
Review the CloudWatch alarm configuration, including the period and threshold.
The alarm may be misconfigured with a period that is too long or a threshold that is not crossed.
- D
Check that the IAM user has permissions to create access keys.
Why wrong: The alarm should trigger regardless of whether the action succeeded or failed.
Question 1,175 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Threat Detection and Incident Response Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 uses AWS CloudTrail to log all API activity. The security team wants to be alerted when an IAM user creates a new access key. They have created a CloudWatch metric filter on the CloudTrail log group for the event name 'CreateAccessKey' and set up a CloudWatch alarm that sends an email via Amazon SNS. However, the alarm is not triggering even though the team knows that access keys have been created. The metric filter has been tested and shows data points in CloudWatch. What should the security team check next?
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
✓
Review the CloudWatch alarm configuration, including the period and threshold.
Option C is correct because the metric filter is producing data points, which means logs are being ingested and the filter is matching events. The most likely issue is that the CloudWatch alarm's period or threshold is misconfigured—for example, the evaluation period might be too long or the threshold too high, causing the alarm to not transition to ALARM state despite the metric having values. The security team should verify the alarm's settings, such as the period (e.g., 5 minutes) and the threshold (e.g., >= 1), to ensure they align with the expected frequency of access key creation events.
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.
- ✗
Ensure that the CloudTrail trail is delivering logs to the correct CloudWatch Logs log group.
Why it's wrong here
If the metric filter shows data, the logs are being delivered correctly.
- ✗
Verify that the CloudTrail trail is logging data events.
Why it's wrong here
CreateAccessKey is a management event, which is logged by default.
- ✓
Review the CloudWatch alarm configuration, including the period and threshold.
Why this is correct
The alarm may be misconfigured with a period that is too long or a threshold that is not crossed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Check that the IAM user has permissions to create access keys.
Why it's wrong here
The alarm should trigger regardless of whether the action succeeded or failed.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume the issue must be with log delivery or event type, but the metric filter already shows data points, so the problem lies in the alarm's evaluation configuration—specifically the period and threshold settings that control when the alarm triggers.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
If the metric filter shows data, the logs are being delivered correctly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudWatch alarms evaluate metrics over a specified period and number of datapoints (e.g., 1 out of 1 datapoints above threshold). If the alarm's period is set to 5 minutes but the metric filter produces a datapoint every 10 minutes, the alarm may never see enough datapoints to evaluate. Additionally, the alarm's 'Treat missing data as' setting can cause it to remain in INSUFFICIENT_DATA state if not configured correctly, even when valid datapoints exist.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
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: Review the CloudWatch alarm configuration, including the period and threshold. — Option C is correct because the metric filter is producing data points, which means logs are being ingested and the filter is matching events. The most likely issue is that the CloudWatch alarm's period or threshold is misconfigured—for example, the evaluation period might be too long or the threshold too high, causing the alarm to not transition to ALARM state despite the metric having values. The security team should verify the alarm's settings, such as the period (e.g., 5 minutes) and the threshold (e.g., >= 1), to ensure they align with the expected frequency of access key creation events.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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