- A
AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch Logs with metric filters and alarms
AWS CloudTrail records IAM API calls for user/role creation and policy attachment. CloudWatch Logs metric filters on these events can trigger CloudWatch Alarms for real-time alerts. CloudTrail also retains historical logs for analysis. This combination meets the requirements.
- B
Amazon GuardDuty and AWS Lambda
Why wrong: Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that analyzes abnormal behavior, not specific IAM admin privilege creation events. Lambda could process events, but GuardDuty does not generate detailed IAM creation logs. This combination is not suitable.
- C
AWS Trusted Advisor and Amazon SES
Why wrong: AWS Trusted Advisor provides best-practice checks and cost optimization recommendations, not real-time monitoring of API calls. SES is for email sending but does not integrate with Trusted Advisor for alerting on IAM events. Incorrect.
- D
AWS Config with managed rules and Amazon SNS
Why wrong: AWS Config evaluates resource configurations against rules but does not monitor API calls in real time. Config can trigger SNS notifications for configuration changes, but it does not capture historical API activity like CloudTrail. Incorrect.
SCS-C02 Management and Security Governance Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. 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's security team needs to implement a solution to detect and alert on the creation of IAM users or roles with administrative privileges. The solution must be able to analyze historical account activity and provide real-time alerts. Which combination of AWS services should be used?
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 and Amazon CloudWatch Logs with metric filters and alarms
AWS CloudTrail logs IAM CreateUser, CreateRole, and AttachRolePolicy events. Amazon CloudWatch Logs can use metric filters to capture these events and trigger CloudWatch Alarms for real-time alerts. CloudTrail also stores historical logs for analysis. Option A is the correct combination. Option B (GuardDuty and Lambda) is focused on threat detection, not specific IAM administrative privilege creation events. Option C (Trusted Advisor and SES) provides best-practice recommendations and email notifications, not real-time API monitoring. Option D (AWS Config and SNS) evaluates resource configuration compliance but does not monitor API calls in real time.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch Logs with metric filters and alarms
Why this is correct
AWS CloudTrail records IAM API calls for user/role creation and policy attachment. CloudWatch Logs metric filters on these events can trigger CloudWatch Alarms for real-time alerts. CloudTrail also retains historical logs for analysis. This combination meets the requirements.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that analyzes abnormal behavior, not specific IAM admin privilege creation events. Lambda could process events, but GuardDuty does not generate detailed IAM creation logs. This combination is not suitable.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor and Amazon SES
Why it's wrong here
AWS Trusted Advisor provides best-practice checks and cost optimization recommendations, not real-time monitoring of API calls. SES is for email sending but does not integrate with Trusted Advisor for alerting on IAM events. Incorrect.
- ✗
AWS Config with managed rules and Amazon SNS
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configurations against rules but does not monitor API calls in real time. Config can trigger SNS notifications for configuration changes, but it does not capture historical API activity like CloudTrail. Incorrect.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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.
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.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SCS-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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Management and Security Governance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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Management and Security Governance practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch Logs with metric filters and alarms — AWS CloudTrail logs IAM CreateUser, CreateRole, and AttachRolePolicy events. Amazon CloudWatch Logs can use metric filters to capture these events and trigger CloudWatch Alarms for real-time alerts. CloudTrail also stores historical logs for analysis. Option A is the correct combination. Option B (GuardDuty and Lambda) is focused on threat detection, not specific IAM administrative privilege creation events. Option C (Trusted Advisor and SES) provides best-practice recommendations and email notifications, not real-time API monitoring. Option D (AWS Config and SNS) evaluates resource configuration compliance but does not monitor API calls in real time.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SCS-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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