← SOA-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 513 of 1,546

Security and Compliance →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Prevent Launching Unapproved AMIs Using AWS Config Managed Rule and Auto Remediation

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.

An organization requires that all Amazon EC2 instances must be launched only with approved Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) that have been pre-approved by the security team. The SysOps administrator needs to enforce this policy for all current and future instances in the AWS account. Unapproved AMIs should be prevented from launching. Which solution meets these requirements with the least operational overhead?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.

A
Use AWS Config with the 'approved-amis-by-id' managed rule to evaluate and automatically remediate noncompliant instances.
Why wrong: AWS Config detects noncompliant instances after launch. While automatic remediation can terminate them, it does not prevent the launch, so it does not fully meet the requirement.
B
Use an AWS Service Control Policy (SCP) to deny ec2:RunInstances if the AMI ID is not in an approved list.
Correct. An SCP denies ec2:RunInstances for unapproved AMIs, preventing any launch across the entire account with minimal operational overhead.
C
Create an IAM policy that denies ec2:RunInstances for any AMI not on an approved list and attach it to all IAM users and roles.
Why wrong: An IAM policy must be attached to every user and role, which is high overhead and does not cover service roles or future principals. SCPs are more comprehensive and easier to manage.
D
Use AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager to approve AMIs and configure the fleet to use only approved images.
Why wrong: AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager is for patching operating systems, not for controlling which AMIs can be launched. It does not prevent unapproved AMI launches.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Use an AWS Service Control Policy (SCP) to deny ec2:RunInstances if the AMI ID is not in an approved list.

An AWS Service Control Policy (SCP) can deny the ec2:RunInstances action if the AMI ID is not in an approved list. This prevents any user or role in the account from launching instances with unapproved AMIs, even if the user has full administrative permissions. SCPs operate at the organization level and require no per-user or per-role configuration, offering minimal operational overhead. In contrast, AWS Config's 'approved-amis-by-id' rule only detects noncompliant instances after launch; automatic remediation (e.g., termination) is reactive and does not prevent the launch itself.

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.

✗
Use AWS Config with the 'approved-amis-by-id' managed rule to evaluate and automatically remediate noncompliant instances.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config detects noncompliant instances after launch. While automatic remediation can terminate them, it does not prevent the launch, so it does not fully meet the requirement.
✓
Use an AWS Service Control Policy (SCP) to deny ec2:RunInstances if the AMI ID is not in an approved list.
Why this is correct
Correct. An SCP denies ec2:RunInstances for unapproved AMIs, preventing any launch across the entire account with minimal operational overhead.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create an IAM policy that denies ec2:RunInstances for any AMI not on an approved list and attach it to all IAM users and roles.
Why it's wrong here
An IAM policy must be attached to every user and role, which is high overhead and does not cover service roles or future principals. SCPs are more comprehensive and easier to manage.
✗
Use AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager to approve AMIs and configure the fleet to use only approved images.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager is for patching operating systems, not for controlling which AMIs can be launched. It does not prevent unapproved AMI launches.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap is that candidates often choose AWS Config because it provides automated detection and remediation, but it does not prevent unauthorized launches. An SCP denies the action before it happens, fully meeting the prevention requirement with minimal overhead.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

The 'approved-amis-by-id' AWS Config managed rule uses a parameter list of AMI IDs and evaluates the 'imageId' attribute of each EC2 instance. Under the hood, AWS Config records configuration changes and triggers the rule evaluation asynchronously; remediation actions are executed via Systems Manager Automation documents, which can terminate or stop noncompliant instances. A subtle behavior is that the rule only evaluates instances after they are launched, so to prevent launches entirely, you must combine it with a service control policy or IAM policy that denies RunInstances for unapproved AMIs—but the question asks for least operational overhead, and Config with remediation is simpler than maintaining SCPs or IAM policies across multiple 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 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.

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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: Use an AWS Service Control Policy (SCP) to deny ec2:RunInstances if the AMI ID is not in an approved list. — An AWS Service Control Policy (SCP) can deny the ec2:RunInstances action if the AMI ID is not in an approved list. This prevents any user or role in the account from launching instances with unapproved AMIs, even if the user has full administrative permissions. SCPs operate at the organization level and require no per-user or per-role configuration, offering minimal operational overhead. In contrast, AWS Config's 'approved-amis-by-id' rule only detects noncompliant instances after launch; automatic remediation (e.g., termination) is reactive and does not prevent the launch itself.

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.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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