Quick Answer
The answer is CloudWatch Logs and SNS, because this combination enables real-time alerts for Lambda errors by capturing execution logs and triggering notifications based on specific patterns. CloudWatch Logs collects all Lambda function output, and a metric filter can be configured to detect keywords like 'ERROR' or 'Exception' that indicate suspicious behavior. When the metric filter’s count exceeds a threshold, a CloudWatch alarm publishes directly to an SNS topic, which then delivers immediate notifications via email, SMS, or HTTP endpoints. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of log-based monitoring and event-driven alerting—a common trap is choosing CloudTrail (which records API calls, not function execution logs) or Lambda Destinations (which handle asynchronous invocation results, not real-time pattern detection). Remember: for real-time error alerts from Lambda logs, think “Logs filter → Alarm → SNS,” and avoid confusing CloudTrail’s API audit trail with CloudWatch Logs’ execution-level detail. A useful mnemonic is “L.A.S.”—Logs, Alarm, SNS.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. 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 has an AWS Lambda function that processes sensitive data. The security team wants to ensure that any errors or suspicious behavior are immediately investigated. Which combination of services should be used to send real-time notifications for anomalous function executions?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "immediately / without restart"
Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
CloudWatch Logs and SNS
CloudWatch Logs metric filters on error patterns can trigger alarms via SNS.
CloudTrail and SNS
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs API calls, not function execution details.
AWS Config and SQS
Why wrong: AWS Config is for resource compliance, not real-time log monitoring.
Amazon Detective and SES
Why wrong: Detective analyzes security data post-incident; SES is for email, not real-time alerts.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
CloudWatch Logs and SNS
Option A is correct because CloudWatch Logs can capture Lambda function execution logs, and a CloudWatch Logs metric filter can be configured to detect patterns indicative of errors or suspicious behavior (e.g., 'ERROR', 'Exception', or custom anomaly patterns). When the metric filter triggers a CloudWatch alarm, it can publish a message directly to an Amazon SNS topic, which then sends real-time notifications (e.g., email, SMS, or HTTP endpoint) to the security team for immediate investigation.
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.
CloudWatch Logs and SNS
Why this is correct
CloudWatch Logs metric filters on error patterns can trigger alarms via SNS.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
CloudTrail and SNS
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls, not function execution details.
AWS Config and SQS
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config is for resource compliance, not real-time log monitoring.
Amazon Detective and SES
Why it's wrong here
Detective analyzes security data post-incident; SES is for email, not real-time alerts.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse CloudTrail (which logs API calls) with CloudWatch Logs (which captures application-level execution output), leading them to choose CloudTrail for real-time error monitoring when it is actually designed for auditing and compliance, not for triggering on application errors.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, CloudWatch Logs metric filters use pattern matching (e.g., space-delimited or JSON-based) to count occurrences of specified terms in log streams; the resulting metric can trigger a CloudWatch alarm with a period as low as 1 minute. SNS then delivers the notification via multiple protocols (HTTP, HTTPS, email, SMS, Lambda) with at-least-once delivery semantics. In a real-world scenario, a security team might filter for patterns like 'AccessDeniedException' or 'InvalidSignatureException' in Lambda logs to detect potential credential misuse or injection attempts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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
Threat Detection and Incident Response — This question tests Threat Detection and Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: CloudWatch Logs and SNS — Option A is correct because CloudWatch Logs can capture Lambda function execution logs, and a CloudWatch Logs metric filter can be configured to detect patterns indicative of errors or suspicious behavior (e.g., 'ERROR', 'Exception', or custom anomaly patterns). When the metric filter triggers a CloudWatch alarm, it can publish a message directly to an Amazon SNS topic, which then sends real-time notifications (e.g., email, SMS, or HTTP endpoint) to the security team for immediate investigation.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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