SCS-C02 Data Protection Practice Question
Which TWO AWS services can be used to monitor and audit data access patterns to Amazon S3 buckets? (Choose 2.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse AWS Config (which checks configuration compliance) with CloudTrail (which records API activity), or they overlook that S3 Server Access Logs are a separate, native logging feature distinct from CloudTrail.
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
✓
AWS CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail is correct because it records API activity for Amazon S3, including data-level events such as GetObject, PutObject, and DeleteObject. By enabling data events on a trail, you can capture who accessed which object, from which IP address, and when, providing a complete audit trail for data access patterns.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
Tracks configuration changes, not data access.
- ✗
AWS CloudWatch
Why it's wrong here
For monitoring metrics and logs, not direct audit of data access.
- ✓
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
Logs S3 API calls.
- ✓
Amazon S3 Server Access Logs
Why this is correct
Logs access requests to S3.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
Provides best practice checks, not audit logs.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
Related to this question
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.