← SCS-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 660 of 1,738

Security Logging and Monitoring →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is to configure Flow Logs at the VPC level and publish them to CloudWatch Logs with a log group name. This is correct because VPC Flow Logs, when enabled at the VPC level, capture all network traffic—both accepted and rejected—for every elastic network interface in the VPC, including traffic to and from the internet via an internet gateway. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding that Flow Logs are not limited to rejected traffic only, and that publishing to CloudWatch Logs is a fully supported destination alongside Amazon S3. A common trap is assuming Flow Logs are real-time or that they only capture denied traffic; in reality, they are published in batches every few minutes and capture all traffic by default. Memory tip: think "VPC-wide, all traffic, all destinations"—Flow Logs at the VPC level give you the full picture, not just a filtered view.

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 is configuring VPC Flow Logs for a VPC that hosts a web application. The engineer wants to capture all traffic to and from the internet. Which of the following is the most appropriate configuration?

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
Configure Flow Logs at the VPC level and publish to CloudWatch Logs with a log group name.
VPC-level Flow Logs capture all traffic, and CloudWatch Logs is a valid destination.
B
Configure Flow Logs at the subnet level and set the traffic type to 'Reject'.
Why wrong: This would only capture rejected traffic.
C
Configure Flow Logs at the VPC level and set the traffic type to 'All'.
Why wrong: This is correct but the explanation for why it's the best is missing; actually option B is more appropriate because it includes the destination. However, option C also works. The correct answer should be B because it specifies the destination. Re-evaluating: Both are valid, but B includes the destination. Typically, the best practice is to publish to CloudWatch Logs for monitoring. Option B is the most complete.
D
Configure Flow Logs at the subnet level and set the traffic type to 'Accepted'.
Why wrong: This would only capture accepted traffic, missing rejected traffic.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Configure Flow Logs at the VPC level and publish to CloudWatch Logs with a log group name.

Option C is correct because VPC Flow Logs can capture all traffic types, including accepted and rejected traffic. Option A is incorrect because Flow Logs can capture both accepted and rejected traffic. Option B is incorrect because Flow Logs can be published to CloudWatch Logs or S3. Option D is incorrect because Flow Logs are not real-time; they are published periodically.

Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✓
Configure Flow Logs at the VPC level and publish to CloudWatch Logs with a log group name.
Why this is correct
VPC-level Flow Logs capture all traffic, and CloudWatch Logs is a valid destination.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
✗
Configure Flow Logs at the subnet level and set the traffic type to 'Reject'.
Why it's wrong here
This would only capture rejected traffic.
✗
Configure Flow Logs at the VPC level and set the traffic type to 'All'.
Why it's wrong here
This is correct but the explanation for why it's the best is missing; actually option B is more appropriate because it includes the destination. However, option C also works. The correct answer should be B because it specifies the destination. Re-evaluating: Both are valid, but B includes the destination. Typically, the best practice is to publish to CloudWatch Logs for monitoring. Option B is the most complete.
✗
Configure Flow Logs at the subnet level and set the traffic type to 'Accepted'.
Why it's wrong here
This would only capture accepted traffic, missing rejected traffic.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses

Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.

KKey Concepts to Remember

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.

TExam Day Tips

Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.

Key takeaway

Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

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

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related SCS-C02 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.

Related SCS-C02 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Threat Detection and Incident Response practice questions

Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Threat Detection and Incident Response.

Security Logging and Monitoring practice questions

Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Security Logging and Monitoring.

Identity and Access Management practice questions

Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Identity and Access Management.

Management and Security Governance practice questions

Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Management and Security Governance.

Infrastructure Security practice questions

Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Infrastructure Security.

Data Protection practice questions

Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Data Protection.

SCS-C02 fundamentals practice questions

Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 fundamentals.

SCS-C02 scenario practice questions

Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 scenario.

SCS-C02 troubleshooting practice questions

Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 troubleshooting.

Practice this exam

Start a free SCS-C02 practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions 20 questions 30 questions 50 questions Timed 30

SCS-C02 practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SCS-C02 question test?

Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Configure Flow Logs at the VPC level and publish to CloudWatch Logs with a log group name. — Option C is correct because VPC Flow Logs can capture all traffic types, including accepted and rejected traffic. Option A is incorrect because Flow Logs can capture both accepted and rejected traffic. Option B is incorrect because Flow Logs can be published to CloudWatch Logs or S3. Option D is incorrect because Flow Logs are not real-time; they are published periodically.

What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?

What is the key concept behind this question?

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.

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 →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

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.