- A
Suppress the GuardDuty finding to reduce noise.
Why wrong: Suppression does not fix the underlying issue; it only hides the finding.
- B
Modify the security group to allow SSH only from specific IP addresses.
Restricting SSH access reduces the attack surface.
- C
Terminate the EC2 instance and launch a new one.
Why wrong: Termination is unnecessary; the instance can be secured without replacement.
- D
Move the instance to a private subnet and use a NAT gateway for outbound internet access.
Placing the instance in a private subnet removes direct internet exposure.
- E
Use AWS Systems Manager Session Manager to access the instance instead of SSH.
Session Manager eliminates the need for open SSH ports.
Question 1,307 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. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 Amazon GuardDuty to monitor its AWS environment. The security team has received a GuardDuty finding of type 'Recon:EC2/PortProbeUnprotectedPort'. The finding indicates that an EC2 instance has an open SSH port that is being probed from the internet. The team wants to reduce the attack surface and prevent future probes. Which THREE actions should the team take? (Choose THREE.)
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
✓
Modify the security group to allow SSH only from specific IP addresses.
Option B is correct because modifying the security group to allow SSH only from specific IP addresses directly restricts inbound traffic to trusted sources, eliminating the open exposure that triggers the GuardDuty 'Recon:EC2/PortProbeUnprotectedPort' finding. This is a fundamental network access control that reduces the attack surface by applying the principle of least privilege at the security group level.
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.
- ✗
Suppress the GuardDuty finding to reduce noise.
Why it's wrong here
Suppression does not fix the underlying issue; it only hides the finding.
- ✓
Modify the security group to allow SSH only from specific IP addresses.
Why this is correct
Restricting SSH access reduces the attack surface.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Terminate the EC2 instance and launch a new one.
Why it's wrong here
Termination is unnecessary; the instance can be secured without replacement.
- ✓
Move the instance to a private subnet and use a NAT gateway for outbound internet access.
Why this is correct
Placing the instance in a private subnet removes direct internet exposure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Use AWS Systems Manager Session Manager to access the instance instead of SSH.
Why this is correct
Session Manager eliminates the need for open SSH ports.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think suppressing the finding (Option A) is a valid remediation step, but AWS explicitly distinguishes between 'suppression' (hiding alerts) and 'remediation' (fixing the root cause), and the question asks for actions to 'prevent future probes,' not just reduce alert noise.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GuardDuty's 'Recon:EC2/PortProbeUnprotectedPort' finding is generated by analyzing VPC Flow Logs and DNS logs for patterns of port scanning from known threat IPs. The finding specifically indicates that the SSH port (TCP 22) is reachable from the internet, meaning the associated security group allows inbound 0.0.0.0/0 on that port. In real-world scenarios, even if the probe is benign, an open SSH port is a common entry point for brute-force attacks, so restricting source IPs or moving to a private subnet with Systems Manager Session Manager (which uses AWS-managed endpoints and IAM authentication) eliminates the need for a public SSH listener entirely.
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 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: Modify the security group to allow SSH only from specific IP addresses. — Option B is correct because modifying the security group to allow SSH only from specific IP addresses directly restricts inbound traffic to trusted sources, eliminating the open exposure that triggers the GuardDuty 'Recon:EC2/PortProbeUnprotectedPort' finding. This is a fundamental network access control that reduces the attack surface by applying the principle of least privilege at the security group level.
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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