- A
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty may generate findings for root activity but not real-time notifications for every login.
- B
AWS CloudTrail
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs events but does not send notifications.
- C
Amazon CloudWatch Events
CloudWatch Events can create a rule that matches the root login event from CloudTrail and sends to SNS.
- D
AWS Config
Why wrong: AWS Config evaluates resource configuration, not user login events.
Question 128 of 1,748
Setting Up Real-Time Notifications for Root User Login
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. 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 wants to receive real-time notifications for every root user login to the AWS Management Console. Which service should be used?
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
✓
Amazon CloudWatch Events
Amazon CloudWatch Events (now part of Amazon EventBridge) can capture AWS API calls via CloudTrail and trigger a rule that matches the 'RootLogin' event. This allows real-time notification through SNS, Lambda, or other targets whenever a root user signs in to the Management Console.
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.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty may generate findings for root activity but not real-time notifications for every login.
- ✗
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs events but does not send notifications.
- ✓
Amazon CloudWatch Events
Why this is correct
CloudWatch Events can create a rule that matches the root login event from CloudTrail and sends to SNS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configuration, not user login events.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose AWS CloudTrail because it records root logins, but they overlook that CloudTrail alone does not provide real-time notifications; it requires CloudWatch Events/EventBridge to trigger alerts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudWatch Events uses event patterns to filter specific API calls from CloudTrail; the pattern for root login matches the 'ConsoleLogin' event with a 'userIdentity' type of 'Root'. Under the hood, CloudTrail delivers events to CloudWatch Events in near real-time (typically within 15 minutes), but for the most immediate notification, you can also use S3 event notifications or CloudTrail's native integration with EventBridge for sub-minute latency. In a real-world scenario, this setup is critical for compliance with frameworks like PCI DSS or SOC 2 that require immediate alerting on root account usage.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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.
- →
Security Logging and Monitoring — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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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: Amazon CloudWatch Events — Amazon CloudWatch Events (now part of Amazon EventBridge) can capture AWS API calls via CloudTrail and trigger a rule that matches the 'RootLogin' event. This allows real-time notification through SNS, Lambda, or other targets whenever a root user signs in to the Management Console.
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
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.
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