- A
Amazon Inspector
Why wrong: Inspector assesses vulnerabilities, not file changes.
- B
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail records API calls, not file changes.
- C
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty detects threats, not file integrity changes.
- D
AWS Config
AWS Config can track file changes via Systems Manager Inventory or custom rules.
Question 405 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 is investigating a potential security incident involving an EC2 instance. The engineer needs to determine if any unauthorized SSH keys were added to the instance's authorized_keys file. Which AWS service should be used to detect this change?
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
✓
AWS Config
AWS Config is the correct service because it can be used to monitor configuration changes to EC2 instances, including changes to the authorized_keys file when integrated with AWS Systems Manager. While AWS Config does not natively track guest OS file changes, you can create a custom AWS Config rule that invokes a Lambda function to check the instance's Systems Manager inventory or run a command to verify the file contents. CloudTrail tracks API calls but does not monitor internal OS changes. Amazon Inspector and GuardDuty focus on vulnerabilities and threats, not configuration changes. Therefore, AWS Config, with appropriate custom rules, is the best choice among the options.
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 Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Inspector assesses vulnerabilities, not file changes.
- ✗
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail records API calls, not file changes.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty detects threats, not file integrity changes.
- ✓
AWS Config
Why this is correct
AWS Config can track file changes via Systems Manager Inventory or custom rules.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS CloudTrail's ability to track API-level changes (e.g., modifying an EC2 instance) with the need to monitor guest OS file changes, which requires a configuration management service like AWS Config, not CloudTrail.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AWS Config evaluates configuration changes by recording configuration items (CIs) for supported resources. For EC2 instances, it can track changes to instance metadata and associated Systems Manager inventory, but to detect file-level changes like `authorized_keys`, you must use AWS Config with AWS Systems Manager Inventory or a custom Lambda function that queries the instance's file system. A subtle behavior is that AWS Config does not natively monitor guest OS files; you must integrate it with Systems Manager or a custom resource to capture such changes, which is a common oversight in security monitoring setups.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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.
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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: AWS Config — AWS Config is the correct service because it can be used to monitor configuration changes to EC2 instances, including changes to the authorized_keys file when integrated with AWS Systems Manager. While AWS Config does not natively track guest OS file changes, you can create a custom AWS Config rule that invokes a Lambda function to check the instance's Systems Manager inventory or run a command to verify the file contents. CloudTrail tracks API calls but does not monitor internal OS changes. Amazon Inspector and GuardDuty focus on vulnerabilities and threats, not configuration changes. Therefore, AWS Config, with appropriate custom rules, is the best choice among the options.
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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