The correct answer is to add a bucket policy to the destination S3 bucket that allows CloudTrail to write objects. This is required because when delivering logs across accounts, CloudTrail operates as a service principal (cloudtrail.amazonaws.com) and must be explicitly granted write permissions on the target bucket via a resource-based policy, not through IAM roles or source-side policies. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of cross-account service-to-service authorization, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly apply the policy to the source account or assume KMS encryption is mandatory. A common trap is thinking CloudTrail uses an IAM role for cross-account delivery, but it does not—only the bucket policy on the destination account controls access. Memory tip: remember “destination dictates delivery”—the bucket policy always goes on the receiving bucket, not the sending account.
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 CloudTrail to log all management events across all regions. The engineer wants to ensure that log files are delivered to an S3 bucket owned by a separate AWS account for centralized auditing. Which additional configuration is required to allow the S3 bucket in the other account to receive these logs?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add a bucket policy to the destination S3 bucket that allows CloudTrail to write objects.
Option A is correct because cross-account S3 delivery requires a bucket policy on the destination bucket that grants CloudTrail (the service principal) permission to write objects. Option B is wrong because the bucket policy goes on the destination bucket, not the source. Option C is wrong because KMS encryption is not required for cross-account delivery. Option D is wrong because CloudTrail does not use IAM roles for cross-account delivery.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Create an S3 bucket policy on the source account's bucket to allow cross-account access.
Why it's wrong here
Source bucket policy is not used for cross-account delivery.
✗
Enable S3 server-side encryption with KMS on the destination bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption is not required for cross-account delivery.
✗
Create an IAM role in the source account and attach a trust policy for CloudTrail.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail does not use IAM roles for cross-account S3 delivery.
✓
Add a bucket policy to the destination S3 bucket that allows CloudTrail to write objects.
Why this is correct
Required for cross-account delivery.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add a bucket policy to the destination S3 bucket that allows CloudTrail to write objects. — Option A is correct because cross-account S3 delivery requires a bucket policy on the destination bucket that grants CloudTrail (the service principal) permission to write objects. Option B is wrong because the bucket policy goes on the destination bucket, not the source. Option C is wrong because KMS encryption is not required for cross-account delivery. Option D is wrong because CloudTrail does not use IAM roles for cross-account delivery.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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