- A
Query AWS CloudTrail logs in Amazon Athena for the user's API calls.
CloudTrail logs include sourceIPAddress and userAgent for API calls, and Athena enables efficient querying of large log datasets.
- B
Analyze VPC Flow Logs for traffic to the S3 bucket.
Why wrong: VPC Flow Logs capture network metadata but do not include IAM user names or API call details.
- C
Enable Amazon GuardDuty and review the generated findings.
Why wrong: GuardDuty provides threat detection but does not store detailed API call logs for historical analysis.
- D
Use AWS Config to review the configuration history of the S3 bucket.
Why wrong: Config tracks changes to resource configurations, not the source of API calls.
Question 1,525 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. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 security engineer is investigating a potential data breach. AWS CloudTrail logs show that an IAM user 'svc-backup' created an S3 bucket in the us-east-1 region and then uploaded a large number of objects. The engineer suspects that the user's credentials were compromised. What is the MOST efficient way to quickly identify the source IP address and user agent of the API calls made by this user?
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
✓
Query AWS CloudTrail logs in Amazon Athena for the user's API calls.
Option A is correct because CloudTrail logs capture detailed records of all API calls, including the source IP address and user agent for each request. By querying these logs with Amazon Athena, the security engineer can efficiently filter for the specific IAM user 'svc-backup' and extract the source IP and user agent from the relevant event records, enabling rapid identification of the compromised credentials' origin.
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.
- ✓
Query AWS CloudTrail logs in Amazon Athena for the user's API calls.
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs include sourceIPAddress and userAgent for API calls, and Athena enables efficient querying of large log datasets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Analyze VPC Flow Logs for traffic to the S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs capture network metadata but do not include IAM user names or API call details.
- ✗
Enable Amazon GuardDuty and review the generated findings.
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty provides threat detection but does not store detailed API call logs for historical analysis.
- ✗
Use AWS Config to review the configuration history of the S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Config tracks changes to resource configurations, not the source of API calls.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse VPC Flow Logs (which show network-level traffic) with CloudTrail logs (which show API-level activity), failing to recognize that only CloudTrail captures the IAM user identity and user agent required for this investigation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudTrail logs are delivered as JSON files containing event records with fields like 'sourceIPAddress' and 'userAgent' for each API call. Athena uses Presto-based SQL to query these logs directly in S3, allowing for fast, ad-hoc analysis without needing to set up a separate log aggregation system. In a real-world incident, the engineer could run a query like 'SELECT sourceipaddress, useragent FROM cloudtrail_logs WHERE useridentity.arn LIKE '%svc-backup%' AND eventname IN ('CreateBucket', 'PutObject')' to quickly isolate the malicious activity.
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 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
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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: Query AWS CloudTrail logs in Amazon Athena for the user's API calls. — Option A is correct because CloudTrail logs capture detailed records of all API calls, including the source IP address and user agent for each request. By querying these logs with Amazon Athena, the security engineer can efficiently filter for the specific IAM user 'svc-backup' and extract the source IP and user agent from the relevant event records, enabling rapid identification of the compromised credentials' origin.
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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