- A
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log KMS API calls.
CloudTrail records all KMS API operations for auditing.
- B
Enable Amazon S3 server access logs to track KMS operations.
Why wrong: S3 server access logs track S3 requests, not KMS operations.
- C
Use IAM Access Analyzer to review KMS key policies.
Why wrong: Access Analyzer identifies externally shared resources, not usage.
- D
Stream CloudTrail logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs and create metric filters for KMS events.
Enables monitoring and alerting on KMS usage.
- E
Use AWS Config rules to monitor KMS key usage.
Why wrong: Config does not track key usage; it tracks configuration changes.
Question 1,435 of 1,546
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 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 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
✓
Enable AWS CloudTrail to log KMS API calls.
AWS CloudTrail captures all KMS API calls (e.g., Encrypt, Decrypt, GenerateDataKey) as events, providing a complete audit trail of who used the key, when, and from which source. By enabling CloudTrail, you can review these logs to audit customer managed key usage. This is the primary method for auditing KMS key operations.
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
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Config rules (which check configuration compliance) with actual usage auditing, or they think S3 server access logs can capture KMS operations when they only log S3-level requests, not the underlying KMS API calls.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CloudTrail logs KMS events as management events by default, but for data plane operations (e.g., Decrypt, Encrypt) you must enable data event logging specifically for KMS keys. Streaming these logs to CloudWatch Logs allows you to create metric filters (e.g., for failed Decrypt calls) and set alarms, enabling real-time monitoring and automated responses. In a real-world scenario, this is critical for detecting unauthorized decryption attempts or key misuse across accounts.
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 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Security and Compliance practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SOA-C02 questions
1,546 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SOA-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SOA-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation.
Reliability and Business Continuity practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Reliability and Business Continuity.
Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation.
Security and Compliance practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.
Networking and Content Delivery practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Networking and Content Delivery.
Cost and Performance Optimization practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to Cost and Performance Optimization.
SOA-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 fundamentals.
SOA-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 scenario.
SOA-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise SOA-C02 questions linked to SOA-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free SOA-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Enable AWS CloudTrail to log KMS API calls. — AWS CloudTrail captures all KMS API calls (e.g., Encrypt, Decrypt, GenerateDataKey) as events, providing a complete audit trail of who used the key, when, and from which source. By enabling CloudTrail, you can review these logs to audit customer managed key usage. This is the primary method for auditing KMS key operations.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More SOA-C02 practice questions
- A company uses an Amazon DynamoDB table with on-demand capacity mode. The table handles a workload with a steady baselin…
- A company uses Amazon CloudWatch Logs to store application logs. The SysOps administrator needs to count the occurrences…
- A SysOps administrator needs to monitor the CPU utilization of an Amazon EC2 instance and send an alert when it exceeds…
- A SysOps administrator needs to monitor the CPU utilization of an Amazon EC2 instance fleet and send an alert when the a…
- A company's security policy requires that all Amazon S3 buckets must have server-side encryption enabled. The SysOps adm…
- A SysOps administrator uses AWS CloudFormation to deploy a stack that includes an Amazon EC2 instance. The administrator…
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.