- A
Review the VPC Flow Logs for any traffic to the EC2 API endpoint. Look for the source IP that made the API call. Then use that IP to find the instance in the EC2 console. Check the IAM role attached to that instance.
This approach uses VPC Flow Logs to identify the source IP of the API call (to the EC2 endpoint) and then maps it to the instance and its IAM role.
- B
Examine the CloudTrail event for TerminateInstances and note the 'userIdentity' field to identify the IAM role. Then use the 'sourceIPAddress' field to find the instance's private IP. Cross-reference with VPC Flow Logs to find the network interface with that IP at the time of the event.
This correctly identifies the IAM role from CloudTrail and the private IP, then uses VPC Flow Logs to map the IP to the ENI and thus the EC2 instance.
- C
Use AWS Config to find all EC2 instances that were terminated around that time. Then check the CloudTrail event for the IAM role. Finally, use the instance ID from the termination event to identify the source.
Why wrong: The termination event logs the target instances, not the source instance. The source is the entity making the API call, which is the compromised instance.
- D
Check the CloudWatch Logs for the Auto Scaling group to find any error messages around the termination time. Correlate with the CloudTrail event to identify the IAM role. Then use the EC2 console to list all instances and check their IAM roles manually.
Why wrong: This approach is inefficient and may not pinpoint the exact instance; manual checking is not scalable.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to examine the CloudTrail event for the TerminateInstances call, noting the userIdentity field to identify the IAM role, and then cross-reference the sourceIPAddress with VPC Flow Logs to find the specific compromised instance. This works because CloudTrail records the API caller’s private IP when the call originates from within the VPC, while VPC Flow Logs capture all network traffic, including outbound connections to the EC2 API endpoint. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your ability to correlate two distinct log sources to trace lateral movement and privilege abuse—a common trap is assuming the source IP in CloudTrail is always public, but for internal calls it’s the private IP. Remember that VPC Flow Logs show the network interface’s traffic, so filtering by the EC2 API endpoint’s public IP range and the timestamp from CloudTrail reveals the compromised instance’s ENI. Memory tip: “CloudTrail tells you who and how, Flow Logs tell you where and when.”
SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 runs a critical application on an Auto Scaling group of EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. The security team enabled VPC Flow Logs, CloudTrail, and CloudWatch Logs for the application tier. Recently, they noticed that some EC2 instances are being terminated unexpectedly by an unknown IAM user. The CloudTrail logs show the TerminateInstances API call, but the source IP address is from within the VPC CIDR range. The security team suspects the action is coming from an EC2 instance that has been compromised. They need to identify the specific compromised instance and the IAM role it used. Which combination of steps will provide the necessary information? (Choose TWO.)
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 VPC Flow Logs for any traffic to the EC2 API endpoint. Look for the source IP that made the API call. Then use that IP to find the instance in the EC2 console. Check the IAM role attached to that instance.
Option A is correct because VPC Flow Logs capture traffic to the EC2 API endpoint (at the AWS public IP range for the region). By filtering for traffic to the EC2 API endpoint IP and looking for the source IP that made the API call, you can identify the compromised instance's private IP. Then, checking the IAM role attached to that instance in the EC2 console reveals the role used for the unauthorized action.
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.
- ✓
Review the VPC Flow Logs for any traffic to the EC2 API endpoint. Look for the source IP that made the API call. Then use that IP to find the instance in the EC2 console. Check the IAM role attached to that instance.
Why this is correct
This approach uses VPC Flow Logs to identify the source IP of the API call (to the EC2 endpoint) and then maps it to the instance and its IAM role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Examine the CloudTrail event for TerminateInstances and note the 'userIdentity' field to identify the IAM role. Then use the 'sourceIPAddress' field to find the instance's private IP. Cross-reference with VPC Flow Logs to find the network interface with that IP at the time of the event.
Why this is correct
This correctly identifies the IAM role from CloudTrail and the private IP, then uses VPC Flow Logs to map the IP to the ENI and thus the EC2 instance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use AWS Config to find all EC2 instances that were terminated around that time. Then check the CloudTrail event for the IAM role. Finally, use the instance ID from the termination event to identify the source.
Why it's wrong here
The termination event logs the target instances, not the source instance. The source is the entity making the API call, which is the compromised instance.
- ✗
Check the CloudWatch Logs for the Auto Scaling group to find any error messages around the termination time. Correlate with the CloudTrail event to identify the IAM role. Then use the EC2 console to list all instances and check their IAM roles manually.
Why it's wrong here
This approach is inefficient and may not pinpoint the exact instance; manual checking is not scalable.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think CloudTrail alone provides the instance ID of the source, but CloudTrail only logs the source IP and IAM identity, not the instance ID, requiring correlation with VPC Flow Logs to identify the specific compromised instance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, EC2 API calls from within a VPC are routed to the EC2 endpoint via the VPC's default route or a VPC endpoint. VPC Flow Logs capture traffic at the network interface level, including traffic to the EC2 API endpoint IP (e.g., 52.94.0.0/16 for us-east-1). The CloudTrail event's 'sourceIPAddress' field shows the private IP of the instance making the call, which can be cross-referenced with VPC Flow Logs to pinpoint the specific ENI and thus the compromised instance.
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 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
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: Review the VPC Flow Logs for any traffic to the EC2 API endpoint. Look for the source IP that made the API call. Then use that IP to find the instance in the EC2 console. Check the IAM role attached to that instance. — Option A is correct because VPC Flow Logs capture traffic to the EC2 API endpoint (at the AWS public IP range for the region). By filtering for traffic to the EC2 API endpoint IP and looking for the source IP that made the API call, you can identify the compromised instance's private IP. Then, checking the IAM role attached to that instance in the EC2 console reveals the role used for the unauthorized action.
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 11, 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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