The correct answer is to stream CloudTrail logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs and create metric filters for KMS events. This works because AWS CloudTrail captures every KMS API call—such as Encrypt, Decrypt, and GenerateDataKey—as an event, and by sending those logs to CloudWatch Logs, you can build metric filters that trigger alarms or dashboards for specific key usage patterns. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to operationalize audit data rather than just enabling logging; a common trap is confusing AWS Config (which tracks configuration changes, not usage) or IAM Access Analyzer (which identifies external resource sharing) with actual usage auditing. Remember that KMS usage is about API calls, not resource state changes, so CloudTrail plus CloudWatch Logs is the only pair that gives you both the raw data and the monitoring capability. A helpful memory tip: “Trail for the tale, Watch for the warning”—CloudTrail tells the story of each key use, and CloudWatch Logs alerts you when something suspicious happens.
SOA-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
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 is using AWS KMS to encrypt data at rest. Which TWO actions can be taken to audit the usage of a customer managed key?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log KMS API calls.
Correct options: A and C. Option A is correct because CloudTrail logs KMS API calls like Encrypt and Decrypt. Option C is correct because CloudWatch Logs can be used to store and monitor KMS API logs. Option B is wrong because AWS Config does not track KMS key usage; it tracks configuration changes. Option D is wrong because IAM access analyzer identifies resources shared with external entities, not key usage. Option E is wrong because S3 server access logs are for S3 access, not KMS.
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.
✓
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log KMS API calls.
Why this is correct
CloudTrail records all KMS API operations for auditing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable Amazon S3 server access logs to track KMS operations.
Why it's wrong here
S3 server access logs track S3 requests, not KMS operations.
✗
Use IAM Access Analyzer to review KMS key policies.
Why it's wrong here
Access Analyzer identifies externally shared resources, not usage.
✓
Stream CloudTrail logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs and create metric filters for KMS events.
Why this is correct
Enables monitoring and alerting on KMS usage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use AWS Config rules to monitor KMS key usage.
Why it's wrong here
Config does not track key usage; it tracks configuration changes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SOA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Enable AWS CloudTrail to log KMS API calls. — Correct options: A and C. Option A is correct because CloudTrail logs KMS API calls like Encrypt and Decrypt. Option C is correct because CloudWatch Logs can be used to store and monitor KMS API logs. Option B is wrong because AWS Config does not track KMS key usage; it tracks configuration changes. Option D is wrong because IAM access analyzer identifies resources shared with external entities, not key usage. Option E is wrong because S3 server access logs are for S3 access, not KMS.
What should I do if I get this SOA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SOA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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