- A
Detach the instance from the Auto Scaling group and stop it.
Why wrong: Stopping the instance may lose volatile memory evidence.
- B
Modify the security group associated with the instance to remove all inbound and outbound rules.
This blocks all traffic to/from the instance while keeping it running for forensics.
- C
Update the network ACL for the subnet to deny all traffic.
Why wrong: This affects all instances in the subnet, not just the compromised one.
- D
Terminate the instance immediately.
Why wrong: Terminating the instance destroys forensic evidence.
Question 1,329 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Threat Detection and Incident Response Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 has an incident response (IR) process that includes isolating compromised EC2 instances. During a security incident, the IR team needs to block all traffic to and from a compromised instance while preserving the instance for forensic analysis. Which approach should the team take?
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
✓
Modify the security group associated with the instance to remove all inbound and outbound rules.
Modifying the security group to remove all inbound and outbound rules effectively blocks all traffic to and from the EC2 instance because security groups act as a stateful virtual firewall at the instance level. This approach preserves the instance in its current running state, allowing the IR team to perform forensic analysis without the risk of the instance being tampered with or communicating with external systems.
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.
- ✗
Detach the instance from the Auto Scaling group and stop it.
Why it's wrong here
Stopping the instance may lose volatile memory evidence.
- ✓
Modify the security group associated with the instance to remove all inbound and outbound rules.
Why this is correct
This blocks all traffic to/from the instance while keeping it running for forensics.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Update the network ACL for the subnet to deny all traffic.
Why it's wrong here
This affects all instances in the subnet, not just the compromised one.
- ✗
Terminate the instance immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Terminating the instance destroys forensic evidence.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse security groups (stateful, instance-level) with network ACLs (stateless, subnet-level) and incorrectly assume that updating the NACL is the correct way to isolate a single instance without affecting other instances in the subnet.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Security groups are stateful, meaning that if you remove all inbound and outbound rules, the firewall implicitly denies all traffic in both directions, including existing connections, because there is no rule to allow return traffic. This is different from network ACLs, which are stateless and require explicit allow rules for both directions; a NACL deny rule only blocks new traffic but does not terminate existing flows unless the corresponding outbound rule is also denied. In practice, the IR team should also consider attaching a forensic acquisition tool (e.g., AWS Systems Manager or a dedicated forensics instance) via a separate security group to safely capture memory and disk data before modifying the security group.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
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: Modify the security group associated with the instance to remove all inbound and outbound rules. — Modifying the security group to remove all inbound and outbound rules effectively blocks all traffic to and from the EC2 instance because security groups act as a stateful virtual firewall at the instance level. This approach preserves the instance in its current running state, allowing the IR team to perform forensic analysis without the risk of the instance being tampered with or communicating with external systems.
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
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