The answer is to create a GuardDuty filter with the action set to 'ARCHIVE' to suppress low-severity findings that are known false positives. This is the recommended approach because GuardDuty filters are purpose-built for this use case, allowing you to automatically archive matching findings without disabling the detector or deleting the underlying data, thereby preserving the complete audit trail for compliance and later review. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of GuardDuty’s operational controls versus more aggressive actions like disabling a detector or suppressing entire threat lists; a common trap is choosing to delete the findings or disable the detector entirely, which breaks visibility and auditing. Remember the memory tip: “Filter to Archive, never delete to suppress”—this reinforces that archiving is the correct, reversible method for handling known false positives while maintaining security posture.
SCS-C02 Security Logging and Monitoring Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security logging and monitoring. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 and wants to suppress low-severity findings that are known false positives. What is the recommended approach?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a GuardDuty filter to suppress the findings
GuardDuty filters allow you to automatically suppress low-severity findings that are known false positives by setting the filter action to 'ARCHIVE'. This prevents the findings from appearing in the active findings list without disabling detection or deleting data. Filters are the recommended approach because they are purpose-built for this use case and preserve the audit trail.
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.
✗
Configure a CloudWatch Events rule to ignore the findings
Why it's wrong here
Events can trigger actions but do not suppress findings in GuardDuty.
✗
Manually delete the findings from the GuardDuty console
Why it's wrong here
Findings cannot be deleted.
✗
Disable the GuardDuty detector for the affected accounts
Why it's wrong here
Disabling stops all findings, not just false positives.
✓
Create a GuardDuty filter to suppress the findings
Why this is correct
Filters can suppress findings from appearing in the console.
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 confuse GuardDuty filters (which archive findings) with CloudWatch Events rules (which only trigger downstream actions) or assume that manual deletion is acceptable, when in fact AWS recommends using filters to handle false positives without losing visibility.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GuardDuty filters operate at the account level and can match findings based on criteria such as severity, type, or resource tags. When a filter is set to 'ARCHIVE', new findings matching the filter are automatically archived upon generation, meaning they are still stored in the GuardDuty history for compliance but are hidden from the active console view. This is distinct from suppression rules in services like AWS Security Hub, which use a different suppression mechanism.
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.
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: Create a GuardDuty filter to suppress the findings — GuardDuty filters allow you to automatically suppress low-severity findings that are known false positives by setting the filter action to 'ARCHIVE'. This prevents the findings from appearing in the active findings list without disabling detection or deleting data. Filters are the recommended approach because they are purpose-built for this use case and preserve the audit trail.
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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