The answer is that the SCP was not attached to the organizational unit (OU) containing the member account. This is the most likely reason the member account disabled CloudTrail despite the SCP, because SCPs only take effect when they are applied to the specific OU or account; if the member account resides in a sub-OU that does not inherit the deny action, the root user or an IAM principal in that account can still stop the organizational trail. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that organizational trails cannot be disabled by member accounts through the CloudTrail console, but a member account can stop its own trails—and crucially, SCPs must be explicitly attached to the target OU to block actions like cloudtrail:StopLogging. A common trap is assuming SCPs applied at the root OU automatically cascade to all child OUs, but inheritance only works if the SCP is attached to the root OU itself, not if it is attached only to a parent OU while the account is in a separate branch. Memory tip: think “SCP attachment, not just creation” — a policy in your pocket does nothing until you hand it to the right group.
SCS-C02 Management and Security Governance Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security governance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that all member accounts have AWS CloudTrail enabled and that the logs are delivered to a centralized S3 bucket in the management account. The team creates an SCP that denies cloudtrail:StopLogging and cloudtrail:DeleteTrail. Additionally, they enable CloudTrail organizational trail. However, after some time, they discover that one member account has disabled CloudTrail. What is the most likely reason this happened?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The SCP was not attached to the organizational unit (OU) containing the member account.
Option B is correct because organizational trails cannot be disabled by member accounts, but a member account can create its own trails and then stop them, which might confuse the monitoring. However, the organizational trail remains enabled. If the organizational trail is still running, the logs are still delivered. But the question says "disabled CloudTrail" - a member account cannot disable the organizational trail. The most likely reason is that the member account's IAM user had permissions to stop the organizational trail because the SCP might not apply to the management account. But SCPs apply to all accounts. Another possibility: the member account root user can still stop the trail if the SCP does not deny. But the SCP should deny. If the SCP is applied correctly, the root cannot stop. However, if the SCP is attached to the root OU but the member account is in a sub-OU that does not inherit the SCP, then it can. So option B is likely. Option A is wrong because CloudTrail cannot be disabled by API even with IAM if SCP denies. Option C is wrong because SCP can be applied. Option D is wrong because management account can but member accounts cannot stop organizational trails.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The member account's root user performed the action, which bypasses the SCP.
Why it's wrong here
SCP affects root as well.
✓
The SCP was not attached to the organizational unit (OU) containing the member account.
Why this is correct
If SCP not applied, the deny is not enforced.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
The SCP was applied to the management account instead of the member accounts.
Why it's wrong here
Management account is not affected by SCP.
✗
The member account's IAM user used the AWS Management Console to disable CloudTrail.
Why it's wrong here
SCP should deny the action.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The SCP was not attached to the organizational unit (OU) containing the member account. — Option B is correct because organizational trails cannot be disabled by member accounts, but a member account can create its own trails and then stop them, which might confuse the monitoring. However, the organizational trail remains enabled. If the organizational trail is still running, the logs are still delivered. But the question says "disabled CloudTrail" - a member account cannot disable the organizational trail. The most likely reason is that the member account's IAM user had permissions to stop the organizational trail because the SCP might not apply to the management account. But SCPs apply to all accounts. Another possibility: the member account root user can still stop the trail if the SCP does not deny. But the SCP should deny. If the SCP is applied correctly, the root cannot stop. However, if the SCP is attached to the root OU but the member account is in a sub-OU that does not inherit the SCP, then it can. So option B is likely. Option A is wrong because CloudTrail cannot be disabled by API even with IAM if SCP denies. Option C is wrong because SCP can be applied. Option D is wrong because management account can but member accounts cannot stop organizational trails.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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