- A
Amazon VPC Flow Logs
Why wrong: VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic metadata, not OS logs.
- B
AWS Config
Why wrong: AWS Config evaluates resource configurations, not OS logs.
- C
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
CloudWatch Logs stores and analyzes log data from the CloudWatch agent.
- D
Amazon CloudWatch Agent
The CloudWatch agent collects OS logs and metrics from EC2 instances.
- E
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs API calls, not OS logs.
Question 1,387 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
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 collect and analyze operating system logs from EC2 instances. Which TWO services are required?
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 CloudWatch Logs
Amazon CloudWatch Logs is the service that stores, monitors, and accesses operating system logs from EC2 instances. However, to collect and send those logs to CloudWatch Logs, you must install and configure the Amazon CloudWatch Agent on the EC2 instances. The CloudWatch Agent can collect logs from the OS (e.g., /var/log/syslog, /var/log/messages, Windows Event Log) and forward them to CloudWatch Logs for analysis.
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.
- ✗
Amazon VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic metadata, not OS logs.
- ✗
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configurations, not OS logs.
- ✓
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why this is correct
CloudWatch Logs stores and analyzes log data from the CloudWatch agent.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Amazon CloudWatch Agent
Why this is correct
The CloudWatch agent collects OS logs and metrics from EC2 instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls, not OS logs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Amazon CloudWatch Logs (the destination service) with the CloudWatch Agent (the collection mechanism), thinking that CloudWatch Logs alone can pull logs from EC2 instances without needing an agent installed on the OS.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The CloudWatch Agent uses a JSON configuration file to specify which log files to collect, including multi-line log patterns and timestamp formats. It runs as a background service (e.g., amazon-cloudwatch-agent on Linux) and uses the PutLogEvents API to stream logs to CloudWatch Logs, where you can create metric filters to extract patterns (e.g., ERROR, SSH login attempts) and trigger alarms. For Windows, the agent can also collect Windows Event Log channels (e.g., System, Security, Application) directly.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Security Logging and Monitoring — study guide chapter
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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 CloudWatch Logs — Amazon CloudWatch Logs is the service that stores, monitors, and accesses operating system logs from EC2 instances. However, to collect and send those logs to CloudWatch Logs, you must install and configure the Amazon CloudWatch Agent on the EC2 instances. The CloudWatch Agent can collect logs from the OS (e.g., /var/log/syslog, /var/log/messages, Windows Event Log) and forward them to CloudWatch Logs for analysis.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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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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