This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure security. 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.
Which AWS service can be used to centrally manage VPC security groups and network ACLs across multiple accounts in AWS Organizations?
AWS Firewall Manager
Firewall Manager centrally manages security groups and NACLs.
AWS Shield
Why wrong: Shield is for DDoS protection.
AWS Config
Why wrong: Config is for resource compliance, not central management.
AWS WAF
Why wrong: WAF is for web ACLs, not security groups.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Firewall Manager
AWS Firewall Manager is the service for centrally managing security rules across accounts. Option C is correct. AWS Config (A) is for compliance, not management. AWS Shield (B) is for DDoS protection. AWS WAF (D) is for web application firewalls, not security groups.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS Firewall Manager
Why this is correct
Firewall Manager centrally manages security groups and NACLs.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
AWS Shield
Why it's wrong here
Shield is for DDoS protection.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
Config is for resource compliance, not central management.
AWS WAF
Why it's wrong here
WAF is for web ACLs, not security groups.
Common exam traps
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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FAQ
Infrastructure Security — This question tests Infrastructure Security — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
The correct answer is: AWS Firewall Manager — AWS Firewall Manager is the service for centrally managing security rules across accounts. Option C is correct. AWS Config (A) is for compliance, not management. AWS Shield (B) is for DDoS protection. AWS WAF (D) is for web application firewalls, not security groups.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related SCS-C02 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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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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