- A
Set up CloudWatch alarms to notify when CloudTrail is modified or logs are deleted.
Why wrong: Alarms are detective, not preventive.
- B
Apply a service control policy (SCP) at the root OU to deny CloudTrail and S3 delete actions, and enable CloudTrail organizational trail.
SCPs prevent all users including root; organizational trail prevents disabling.
- C
Use IAM policies in each member account to deny CloudTrail and S3 delete actions.
Why wrong: IAM policies cannot restrict the root user.
- D
Apply an S3 bucket policy denying delete actions, and enable CloudTrail organizational trail.
Why wrong: Bucket policy does not prevent root from disabling CloudTrail itself.
Question 1,521 of 1,748
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 all features enabled. The security team needs to ensure that no member account can disable AWS CloudTrail logging or delete CloudTrail logs stored in S3. Which combination of preventive controls should be implemented?
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
✓
Apply a service control policy (SCP) at the root OU to deny CloudTrail and S3 delete actions, and enable CloudTrail organizational trail.
Option B is correct because SCPs can deny actions like cloudtrail:DeleteTrail and s3:DeleteObject, and a CloudTrail organizational trail prevents member accounts from stopping logging. Option A is wrong because IAM policies are not enforced by root users. Option C is wrong because resource-based policies alone cannot prevent root user actions. Option D is wrong because CloudWatch alarms are detective, not preventive.
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.
- ✗
Set up CloudWatch alarms to notify when CloudTrail is modified or logs are deleted.
Why it's wrong here
Alarms are detective, not preventive.
- ✓
Apply a service control policy (SCP) at the root OU to deny CloudTrail and S3 delete actions, and enable CloudTrail organizational trail.
Why this is correct
SCPs prevent all users including root; organizational trail prevents disabling.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✗
Use IAM policies in each member account to deny CloudTrail and S3 delete actions.
Why it's wrong here
IAM policies cannot restrict the root user.
- ✗
Apply an S3 bucket policy denying delete actions, and enable CloudTrail organizational trail.
Why it's wrong here
Bucket policy does not prevent root from disabling CloudTrail itself.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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.
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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 — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply a service control policy (SCP) at the root OU to deny CloudTrail and S3 delete actions, and enable CloudTrail organizational trail. — Option B is correct because SCPs can deny actions like cloudtrail:DeleteTrail and s3:DeleteObject, and a CloudTrail organizational trail prevents member accounts from stopping logging. Option A is wrong because IAM policies are not enforced by root users. Option C is wrong because resource-based policies alone cannot prevent root user actions. Option D is wrong because CloudWatch alarms are detective, not preventive.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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