- A
AWS Config timeline
Why wrong: Config timeline shows configuration changes, but not the AMI ID directly.
- B
VPC Flow Logs
Why wrong: VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic, not instance launch details.
- C
AWS CloudTrail
CloudTrail logs the RunInstances API call with AMI ID.
- D
Amazon CloudWatch Logs (EC2 agent logs)
Why wrong: EC2 agent logs are application logs, not API logs.
Question 387 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. 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.
A security engineer is investigating a potential security incident and needs to determine if an EC2 instance was launched with a specific AMI ID. Which AWS log should be examined?
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 CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail records all API calls made within an AWS account, including the RunInstances API call that launches an EC2 instance. The CloudTrail event for RunInstances contains the AMI ID in the request parameters, allowing you to determine if a specific AMI was used. This makes CloudTrail the correct log to examine for this investigation.
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.
- ✗
AWS Config timeline
Why it's wrong here
Config timeline shows configuration changes, but not the AMI ID directly.
- ✗
VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic, not instance launch details.
- ✓
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs the RunInstances API call with AMI ID.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch Logs (EC2 agent logs)
Why it's wrong here
EC2 agent logs are application logs, not API logs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config (which shows resource configuration history) with CloudTrail (which logs API calls), leading them to choose AWS Config timeline even though it does not capture the AMI ID parameter from the launch request.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Config timeline shows configuration changes, but not the AMI ID directly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudTrail captures the RunInstances event as a JSON record that includes the 'amiLaunchIndex' and 'imageId' fields in the 'requestParameters' block. A real-world scenario is investigating a compromised AMI: by searching CloudTrail logs for a specific AMI ID across all RunInstances events, you can identify all instances launched from that AMI, even if they were terminated. Note that CloudTrail must be enabled in the region and account where the instance was launched, and you may need to query the logs using Athena or CloudTrail Lake for efficient searching.
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 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
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 CloudTrail — AWS CloudTrail records all API calls made within an AWS account, including the RunInstances API call that launches an EC2 instance. The CloudTrail event for RunInstances contains the AMI ID in the request parameters, allowing you to determine if a specific AMI was used. This makes CloudTrail the correct log to examine for this investigation.
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: 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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