- A
AWS Config
AWS Config can continuously evaluate S3 bucket policies against rules for public access.
- B
S3 server access logs
Why wrong: Access logs show who accessed the bucket, not public access configuration.
- C
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: GuardDuty detects malicious activity, not public access configuration.
- D
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why wrong: Trusted Advisor provides periodic checks, not continuous monitoring.
Question 361 of 1,546
SOA-C02 Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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 has an S3 bucket that stores sensitive data. A SysOps administrator needs to detect when objects in the bucket are publicly accessible. Which AWS service should the administrator use to continuously monitor and report on public access?
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
AWS Config provides a managed rule called 's3-bucket-public-read-prohibited' and 's3-bucket-public-write-prohibited' that continuously evaluates S3 bucket policies and ACLs against the desired configuration. When a bucket becomes publicly accessible, AWS Config flags it as noncompliant and can trigger automated remediation or notifications. This makes it the correct service for ongoing monitoring and reporting of public access to sensitive data.
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
Why this is correct
AWS Config can continuously evaluate S3 bucket policies against rules for public access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
S3 server access logs
Why it's wrong here
Access logs show who accessed the bucket, not public access configuration.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty detects malicious activity, not public access configuration.
- ✗
AWS Trusted Advisor
Why it's wrong here
Trusted Advisor provides periodic checks, not continuous monitoring.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'detecting public access' with 'auditing access logs' (S3 server access logs) or 'threat detection' (GuardDuty), but the question specifically asks for continuous monitoring and reporting of the bucket's configuration state, which is exactly what AWS Config's managed rules provide.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Access logs show who accessed the bucket, not public access configuration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Config evaluates resource configurations against rules using a configuration recorder that captures changes to S3 bucket policies and ACLs. The 's3-bucket-public-read-prohibited' rule checks for both bucket-level and object-level public access by inspecting the bucket's policy (using the 'Effect': 'Allow' and 'Principal': '*' conditions) and ACL grants (e.g., 'AllUsers' or 'AuthenticatedUsers' permissions). In a real-world scenario, a misconfigured bucket policy that inadvertently grants public read access via a wildcard principal would be detected within minutes by AWS Config, whereas S3 server access logs would only show the resulting anonymous requests after the fact.
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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
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 Config — AWS Config provides a managed rule called 's3-bucket-public-read-prohibited' and 's3-bucket-public-write-prohibited' that continuously evaluates S3 bucket policies and ACLs against the desired configuration. When a bucket becomes publicly accessible, AWS Config flags it as noncompliant and can trigger automated remediation or notifications. This makes it the correct service for ongoing monitoring and reporting of public access to sensitive data.
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 →
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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