Quick Answer
The answer is VPC Traffic Mirroring, used alongside a Network Load Balancer and Amazon Detective. This combination works because VPC Traffic Mirroring captures all network traffic to and from an EC2 instance at the elastic network interface level, then sends that mirrored traffic to a Network Load Balancer, which distributes it to security appliances for deep inspection; Amazon Detective then ingests the resulting findings to analyze patterns and alert on suspicious behavior. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that VPC Traffic Mirroring is for passive capture and analysis, not for inline filtering—a common trap is confusing it with AWS Network Firewall or AWS WAF, which filter traffic rather than capture it for forensic analysis. Remember the mnemonic “Mirror, Load, Detect” to recall the three services: VPC Traffic Mirroring captures, Network Load Balancer distributes, and Amazon Detective analyzes.
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 security team wants to detect and alert on suspicious network traffic patterns within their VPC. They need to capture traffic to and from an EC2 instance for analysis. Which THREE services should be used together to achieve this? (Choose three.)
AWS Network Firewall
Why wrong: Used for filtering traffic, not capturing for analysis.
Network Load Balancer
Distributes mirrored traffic to security appliances for analysis.
Amazon Detective
Analyzes network traffic and identifies suspicious patterns.
AWS WAF
Why wrong: Filters web traffic, not for network traffic analysis.
VPC Traffic Mirroring
Captures network traffic from EC2 instances.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Network Load Balancer
VPC Traffic Mirroring captures network traffic, which can be sent to a Network Load Balancer for distribution to security appliances, and then analyzed by Amazon Detective. Options A, B, and D are correct. Option C is wrong because AWS Network Firewall is for filtering, not capture. Option E is wrong because AWS WAF is for web traffic filtering.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Network Firewall
Why it's wrong here
Used for filtering traffic, not capturing for analysis.
Network Load Balancer
Why this is correct
Distributes mirrored traffic to security appliances for analysis.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Amazon Detective
Why this is correct
Analyzes network traffic and identifies suspicious patterns.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
AWS WAF
Why it's wrong here
Filters web traffic, not for network traffic analysis.
VPC Traffic Mirroring
Why this is correct
Captures network traffic from EC2 instances.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Security Logging and Monitoring — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security Logging and Monitoring — This question tests Security Logging and Monitoring — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: Network Load Balancer — VPC Traffic Mirroring captures network traffic, which can be sent to a Network Load Balancer for distribution to security appliances, and then analyzed by Amazon Detective. Options A, B, and D are correct. Option C is wrong because AWS Network Firewall is for filtering, not capture. Option E is wrong because AWS WAF is for web traffic filtering.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SCS-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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