Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon GuardDuty, which is the correct choice because it continuously monitors VPC Flow Logs, DNS logs, and CloudTrail management events to detect anomalous traffic patterns such as repeated failed SSH login attempts from a single IP address, a hallmark of brute force attacks. GuardDuty uses machine learning and integrated threat intelligence to identify these reconnaissance and credential-stuffing behaviors without requiring additional agents or configuration changes. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between services focused on network-level threat detection versus those for logging, compliance, or vulnerability scanning—a common trap is confusing GuardDuty with CloudTrail, but remember that CloudTrail records API calls, not network packets. Inspector scans for software vulnerabilities, Config checks resource compliance, and Shield defends against DDoS, none of which analyze real-time network flows for brute force patterns. For a quick memory tip: think of GuardDuty as the “guard on duty” watching the network door, while CloudTrail is the “trail of API breadcrumbs.”
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 company wants to detect and alert on SSH brute force attacks on EC2 instances. Which AWS service should be used?
AWS Config
Why wrong: Config monitors resource configurations.
Amazon GuardDuty
GuardDuty uses threat intelligence to detect brute force attacks.
Amazon Inspector
Why wrong: Inspector checks for software vulnerabilities.
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs API calls, not network traffic.
AWS Shield
Why wrong: Shield protects against DDoS attacks.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon GuardDuty
Option B is correct because GuardDuty can analyze VPC Flow Logs and DNS logs to detect brute force attempts. Option A is wrong because CloudTrail does not monitor network traffic. Option C is wrong because Inspector is for vulnerability scanning. Option D is wrong because Config is for configuration compliance. Option E is wrong because Shield is for DDoS protection.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
Config monitors resource configurations.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why this is correct
GuardDuty uses threat intelligence to detect brute force attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Inspector checks for software vulnerabilities.
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls, not network traffic.
AWS Shield
Why it's wrong here
Shield protects against DDoS attacks.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Security Logging and Monitoring — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon GuardDuty — Option B is correct because GuardDuty can analyze VPC Flow Logs and DNS logs to detect brute force attempts. Option A is wrong because CloudTrail does not monitor network traffic. Option C is wrong because Inspector is for vulnerability scanning. Option D is wrong because Config is for configuration compliance. Option E is wrong because Shield is for DDoS protection.
Identify which SCS-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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