This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 wants to monitor for unauthorized API calls in their AWS account. Which AWS service should they use?
Amazon CloudWatch
Why wrong: CloudWatch is for monitoring metrics and logs, not specifically for API call auditing.
AWS Config
Why wrong: Config tracks configuration changes, not API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
CloudTrail logs all API activity for governance and auditing.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty detects threats but does not provide a complete log of API calls.
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 CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail is the correct service because it records all API calls made in an AWS account, including the identity, source IP, and timestamp of each call. This enables monitoring for unauthorized API activity by analyzing the logs for suspicious patterns or unexpected actions. CloudTrail is specifically designed for auditing API usage, unlike other services that focus on resource configuration or threat detection.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon CloudWatch
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch is for monitoring metrics and logs, not specifically for API call auditing.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
Config tracks configuration changes, not API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs all API activity for governance and auditing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty detects threats but does not provide a complete log of API calls.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config (which tracks resource configuration changes) with CloudTrail (which tracks API calls), leading them to select Config when the question specifically asks about monitoring API calls rather than resource state.
Detailed technical explanation
CloudTrail delivers event history within 15 minutes of an API call (typically faster for management events) and supports both management and data events. A key subtlety is that CloudTrail does not log all read-only data plane operations by default (e.g., S3 GetObject) unless data events are explicitly enabled, which can lead to gaps in monitoring if not configured. In a real-world scenario, an attacker using stolen credentials might make API calls that appear legitimate; CloudTrail logs combined with IAM Access Analyzer can help identify anomalous cross-account access patterns.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS CloudTrail — AWS CloudTrail is the correct service because it records all API calls made in an AWS account, including the identity, source IP, and timestamp of each call. This enables monitoring for unauthorized API activity by analyzing the logs for suspicious patterns or unexpected actions. CloudTrail is specifically designed for auditing API usage, unlike other services that focus on resource configuration or threat detection.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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