This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure security. 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The security group allows SSH access from any IP address.
Option B is correct because it suggests detaching the volume before taking a snapshot, which is the recommended practice to ensure a consistent snapshot. Detaching a volume while the instance is running is possible for non-root volumes after unmounting, but for root volumes the instance must be stopped first. The original explanation incorrectly indicated Option C as correct.
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 AMI ID is hardcoded.
Why it's wrong here
Hardcoding AMI IDs is a best practice for stability.
✗
The template does not specify a VPC.
Why it's wrong here
If no VPC is specified, it defaults to the default VPC, which is acceptable but not a direct security concern.
✗
The instance type is too small.
Why it's wrong here
Instance type is a performance concern, not security.
✓
The security group allows SSH access from any IP address.
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 focus on the hardcoded AMI ID (Option A) as a security risk, but AWS CloudFormation templates commonly hardcode AMI IDs for reproducibility, whereas the real vulnerability is the overly permissive SSH access from all IPs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SSH (TCP port 22) should be restricted to specific trusted IP ranges using `CidrIp` or a security group reference, not `0.0.0.0/0`. Under the hood, AWS security groups are stateful firewalls; allowing 0.0.0.0/0 for SSH means any host can initiate a connection, bypassing network ACLs if they are also permissive. In a real-world scenario, this misconfiguration is a common finding in AWS Trusted Advisor security checks and can lead to compromise via credential stuffing or SSH key brute-forcing.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Infrastructure Security — This question tests Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The security group allows SSH access from any IP address. — Option B is correct because it suggests detaching the volume before taking a snapshot, which is the recommended practice to ensure a consistent snapshot. Detaching a volume while the instance is running is possible for non-root volumes after unmounting, but for root volumes the instance must be stopped first. The original explanation incorrectly indicated Option C as correct.
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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Question Discussion
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