The answer is a combination of AWS CloudTrail, Amazon CloudWatch Logs metric filter, and Amazon SNS. This works because CloudTrail captures all API activity in your account, including every action taken by the root user, and delivers those logs to CloudWatch Logs. You then create a metric filter that watches for the specific pattern `userIdentity.type = "Root"`, which triggers a CloudWatch alarm whenever a root user event occurs. That alarm publishes a notification to an SNS topic, which sends an email to all subscribers, giving the operations team real-time alerts. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to combine monitoring and notification services for security visibility—a common trap is thinking CloudTrail alone can send alerts, but it cannot; you must funnel its logs into CloudWatch Logs for filtering and alarming. Remember the pipeline: CloudTrail logs in, metric filter watches, SNS notifies.
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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 uses Amazon CloudWatch to monitor its AWS resources. The operations team needs to receive email notifications when the root user performs any action in the AWS account. Which combination of services should the SysOps administrator use to meet this requirement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS CloudTrail, Amazon CloudWatch Logs metric filter, and Amazon SNS.
AWS CloudTrail logs all API activity, including root user actions. By sending these logs to CloudWatch Logs, you can create a metric filter that matches root user events (e.g., `userIdentity.type = "Root"`). When the metric filter triggers a CloudWatch alarm, it publishes a notification to an SNS topic, which sends an email to subscribers. This combination ensures real-time notification of root user actions.
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.
✗
Amazon CloudWatch Logs and Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS).
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs requires a subscription filter to trigger alarms, but the primary source should be CloudTrail.
✓
AWS CloudTrail, Amazon CloudWatch Logs metric filter, and Amazon SNS.
Why this is correct
CloudTrail delivers logs to CloudWatch Logs, where a metric filter can detect root user events and trigger an alarm to SNS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
AWS Trusted Advisor and Amazon Simple Email Service (SES).
Why it's wrong here
Trusted Advisor provides recommendations, not real-time monitoring of root actions.
✗
AWS Config, Amazon CloudWatch Events, and Amazon SNS.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config tracks configuration changes, not API calls by root user.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config (resource configuration tracking) with CloudTrail (API activity logging), or assume CloudWatch Logs alone can filter events without a metric filter and CloudTrail integration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CloudTrail delivers logs to CloudWatch Logs via a trail configuration. The metric filter uses a JSON pattern match on the `userIdentity.type` field set to `"Root"`. The alarm transitions to ALARM state when the metric exceeds a threshold (e.g., >= 1 in 1 minute), triggering an SNS notification. A subtle behavior: root user actions are also logged in CloudTrail management events, which are enabled by default, but you must explicitly configure the trail to send to CloudWatch Logs.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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.
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — This question tests Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS CloudTrail, Amazon CloudWatch Logs metric filter, and Amazon SNS. — AWS CloudTrail logs all API activity, including root user actions. By sending these logs to CloudWatch Logs, you can create a metric filter that matches root user events (e.g., `userIdentity.type = "Root"`). When the metric filter triggers a CloudWatch alarm, it publishes a notification to an SNS topic, which sends an email to subscribers. This combination ensures real-time notification of root user actions.
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.
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Question Discussion
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