SCS-C02 Threat Detection and Incident Response Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
During an incident investigation, a security analyst finds that an IAM user 'JohnDoe' has been using an access key that was last rotated over 2 years ago. The analyst needs to determine if this key has been compromised. Which approach provides the MOST definitive evidence?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use AWS CloudTrail LookupEvents to find API calls made by the key, focusing on unusual IP addresses or times
Option B is correct because AWS CloudTrail LookupEvents allows you to filter API calls by user identity (such as the access key ID) and examine attributes like source IP address, user agent, and timestamp. Unusual IP addresses or times of day are strong indicators of compromise, as they suggest the key is being used from locations or at hours inconsistent with the legitimate user's behavior. This provides the most definitive evidence because it directly correlates the key's usage with anomalous patterns, rather than relying on indirect indicators like data downloads or permission changes.
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.
✗
Check the S3 access logs to see if the key was used to download sensitive data
Why it's wrong here
S3 access logs only cover S3 operations, not all API calls.
✓
Use AWS CloudTrail LookupEvents to find API calls made by the key, focusing on unusual IP addresses or times
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs provide detailed records of API calls, helping identify anomalous activity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Review the IAM password policy to see if the key was created before the current policy
Why it's wrong here
Password policy does not relate to access key compromise.
✗
Use AWS Config to see if the key's permissions have changed
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config does not track access key usage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume S3 access logs (Option A) are the definitive source for detecting compromise, but they miss that CloudTrail provides a complete audit trail of all API calls, including those that don't involve S3 data access, making it the superior choice for identifying anomalous behavior.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudTrail LookupEvents uses the `LookupEvents` API (or equivalent AWS CLI command `aws cloudtrail lookup-events`) with filters like `LookupAttribute` set to `AccessKeyId`. This returns a list of events including `EventTime`, `SourceIPAddress`, `UserAgent`, and `RequestParameters`. A key rotated over 2 years ago is a high-risk indicator because it violates the AWS Security Hub best practice of rotating access keys every 90 days; even without compromise, such keys should be rotated immediately. In a real-world scenario, an analyst might cross-reference the IP addresses with known corporate VPN ranges or geolocation data to confirm anomalies.
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
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.
Threat Detection and Incident Response — This question tests Threat Detection and Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use AWS CloudTrail LookupEvents to find API calls made by the key, focusing on unusual IP addresses or times — Option B is correct because AWS CloudTrail LookupEvents allows you to filter API calls by user identity (such as the access key ID) and examine attributes like source IP address, user agent, and timestamp. Unusual IP addresses or times of day are strong indicators of compromise, as they suggest the key is being used from locations or at hours inconsistent with the legitimate user's behavior. This provides the most definitive evidence because it directly correlates the key's usage with anomalous patterns, rather than relying on indirect indicators like data downloads or permission changes.
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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Question Discussion
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