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Question 310 of 1,738

Security Logging and Monitoring →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question

This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. 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.

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

```
{
  "configuration": {
    "name": "my-trail",
    "s3BucketName": "my-cloudtrail-logs",
    "includeGlobalServiceEvents": true,
    "isMultiRegionTrail": true,
    "enableLogFileValidation": true,
    "cloudWatchLogsLogGroupArn": "arn:aws:logs:us-east-1:123456789012:log-group:aws-cloudtrail-logs:*",
    "cloudWatchLogsRoleArn": "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/CloudTrail_CloudWatchLogs_Role",
    "kmsKeyId": null
  }
}
```

Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer reviews the CloudTrail trail configuration. What is a security concern?

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

```
{
  "configuration": {
    "name": "my-trail",
    "s3BucketName": "my-cloudtrail-logs",
    "includeGlobalServiceEvents": true,
    "isMultiRegionTrail": true,
    "enableLogFileValidation": true,
    "cloudWatchLogsLogGroupArn": "arn:aws:logs:us-east-1:123456789012:log-group:aws-cloudtrail-logs:*",
    "cloudWatchLogsRoleArn": "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/CloudTrail_CloudWatchLogs_Role",
    "kmsKeyId": null
  }
}
```

A
The trail is not multi-region
Why wrong: It is multi-region (isMultiRegionTrail: true).
B
The logs are not encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key
kmsKeyId is null, so SSE-S3 is used, which is less secure.
C
Log file validation is not enabled
Why wrong: It is enabled (enableLogFileValidation: true).
D
CloudWatch Logs integration is missing
Why wrong: It is configured (cloudWatchLogsLogGroupArn present).

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

The logs are not encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key

The security concern is that the CloudTrail logs are not encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key. By default, CloudTrail encrypts log files using SSE-S3 (S3-managed keys), which does not provide the customer with control over key rotation, access policies, or the ability to audit key usage. Using a customer-managed KMS key ensures that only authorized principals can decrypt the logs, and it enables fine-grained access control and audit trails via CloudTrail and CloudWatch Logs, which is critical for compliance and security monitoring.

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.

✗
The trail is not multi-region
Why it's wrong here
It is multi-region (isMultiRegionTrail: true).
✓
The logs are not encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key
Why this is correct
kmsKeyId is null, so SSE-S3 is used, which is less secure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Log file validation is not enabled
Why it's wrong here
It is enabled (enableLogFileValidation: true).
✗
CloudWatch Logs integration is missing
Why it's wrong here
It is configured (cloudWatchLogsLogGroupArn present).

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Cisco often tests the misconception that default encryption (SSE-S3) is sufficient for compliance, but the exam expects you to recognize that customer-managed KMS keys provide additional control and auditability, making the lack of SSE-KMS a security concern.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

CloudTrail uses SSE-S3 by default, which means Amazon S3 manages the encryption keys and the encryption is transparent. However, with a customer-managed KMS key (SSE-KMS), you can enforce key rotation policies, define key-level IAM policies, and enable key usage auditing via CloudTrail events. In a real-world scenario, if an attacker gains access to the S3 bucket but not the KMS key, they cannot decrypt the logs, whereas with SSE-S3, anyone with S3 read access can decrypt the logs because the key is managed by S3.

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.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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

Questions learners often ask

What does this SCS-C02 question test?

Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The logs are not encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key — The security concern is that the CloudTrail logs are not encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key. By default, CloudTrail encrypts log files using SSE-S3 (S3-managed keys), which does not provide the customer with control over key rotation, access policies, or the ability to audit key usage. Using a customer-managed KMS key ensures that only authorized principals can decrypt the logs, and it enables fine-grained access control and audit trails via CloudTrail and CloudWatch Logs, which is critical for compliance and security monitoring.

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: Jun 11, 2026

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This SCS-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SCS-C02 exam.