- A
AWS Config with a custom rule and AWS Lambda
A custom AWS Config rule can evaluate EC2 instances when they are created (configuration change trigger) and invoke an AWS Lambda function to terminate instances lacking the required tag or having an invalid value. This provides continuous compliance enforcement.
- B
AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch Events
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs API calls, and CloudWatch Events can trigger a Lambda function on the RunInstances event to check tags and terminate if needed. While this can work for new launches, it does not provide ongoing compliance monitoring for tag changes after launch, and it requires more custom logic than using AWS Config.
- C
AWS Service Catalog and AWS Organizations
Why wrong: Service Catalog enforces tagging only for products provisioned through it. This does not cover instances launched outside Service Catalog, and AWS Organizations is for account management, not direct EC2 tag enforcement.
- D
Amazon Inspector and AWS Systems Manager
Why wrong: Amazon Inspector is for vulnerability assessments, and Systems Manager is for operational management. Neither service is designed to enforce tags or terminate instances based on tags automatically.
SOA-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 company's security team requires that all Amazon EC2 instances in a specific AWS account must have the tag 'Environment' set to either 'Production' or 'Test'. Any instance that is launched without this tag or with an invalid value must be automatically terminated within five minutes. Which combination of AWS services can enforce this requirement with minimal manual intervention?
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 Config with a custom rule and AWS Lambda
AWS Config with a custom rule can evaluate EC2 instances for the required 'Environment' tag with valid values. When a non-compliant instance is detected, AWS Config triggers an AWS Lambda function that terminates the instance within the required five-minute window. This combination provides automated, event-driven enforcement with minimal manual intervention.
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.
- ✓
AWS Config with a custom rule and AWS Lambda
Why this is correct
A custom AWS Config rule can evaluate EC2 instances when they are created (configuration change trigger) and invoke an AWS Lambda function to terminate instances lacking the required tag or having an invalid value. This provides continuous compliance enforcement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch Events
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls, and CloudWatch Events can trigger a Lambda function on the RunInstances event to check tags and terminate if needed. While this can work for new launches, it does not provide ongoing compliance monitoring for tag changes after launch, and it requires more custom logic than using AWS Config.
- ✗
AWS Service Catalog and AWS Organizations
Why it's wrong here
Service Catalog enforces tagging only for products provisioned through it. This does not cover instances launched outside Service Catalog, and AWS Organizations is for account management, not direct EC2 tag enforcement.
- ✗
Amazon Inspector and AWS Systems Manager
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector is for vulnerability assessments, and Systems Manager is for operational management. Neither service is designed to enforce tags or terminate instances based on tags automatically.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think CloudTrail and CloudWatch Events alone can enforce tag compliance, but they lack the evaluation logic and automated remediation that AWS Config with a custom Lambda rule provides.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AWS Config custom rules use AWS Lambda functions that receive a configuration item (CI) containing the instance's tags and state. The Lambda function evaluates the CI against the rule logic and returns a compliance status (COMPLIANT or NON_COMPLIANT). For non-compliant instances, the function can call the EC2 TerminateInstances API. The five-minute enforcement window is achieved by setting the AWS Config rule's MaximumExecutionFrequency or by using a CloudWatch Events rule triggered on the 'aws.config' source with a specific event pattern for non-compliant resources.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
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Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Config with a custom rule and AWS Lambda — AWS Config with a custom rule can evaluate EC2 instances for the required 'Environment' tag with valid values. When a non-compliant instance is detected, AWS Config triggers an AWS Lambda function that terminates the instance within the required five-minute window. This combination provides automated, event-driven enforcement with minimal manual intervention.
What should I do if I get this SOA-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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
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