- A
AWS Config with a managed rule ec2-instance-no-public-ip and an SSM Automation remediation.
Why wrong: The managed rule ec2-instance-no-public-ip checks for instances with public IPs, not termination protection. It does not address the requirement.
- B
AWS Config with a custom rule using AWS Lambda to evaluate and enable termination protection.
A custom AWS Config rule can use a Lambda function to check if an EC2 instance has termination protection enabled. If not, the function can call the EC2 API to enable it. This provides automatic remediation for non-compliant resources.
- C
Amazon Inspector to scan instances and trigger a remediation action.
Why wrong: Amazon Inspector is a vulnerability assessment service. It does not evaluate or enforce EC2 termination protection settings.
- D
AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager to apply a policy for termination protection.
Why wrong: Patch Manager is used for applying patches to instances. It does not manage EC2 settings like termination protection.
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 wants to enforce that all Amazon EC2 instances launched in the AWS account must have a specific termination protection setting enabled. The SysOps administrator needs to automatically remediate any instances that are launched without termination protection. Which AWS service should be used to achieve this?
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 with a custom rule using AWS Lambda to evaluate and enable termination protection.
AWS Config can evaluate resources against desired configurations using managed or custom rules. A custom AWS Config rule can invoke a Lambda function to check if termination protection is enabled on EC2 instances and automatically enable it if missing, providing the required remediation. This approach directly addresses the requirement to enforce termination protection on all launched instances.
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 with a managed rule ec2-instance-no-public-ip and an SSM Automation remediation.
Why it's wrong here
The managed rule ec2-instance-no-public-ip checks for instances with public IPs, not termination protection. It does not address the requirement.
- ✓
AWS Config with a custom rule using AWS Lambda to evaluate and enable termination protection.
Why this is correct
A custom AWS Config rule can use a Lambda function to check if an EC2 instance has termination protection enabled. If not, the function can call the EC2 API to enable it. This provides automatic remediation for non-compliant resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon Inspector to scan instances and trigger a remediation action.
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector is a vulnerability assessment service. It does not evaluate or enforce EC2 termination protection settings.
- ✗
AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager to apply a policy for termination protection.
Why it's wrong here
Patch Manager is used for applying patches to instances. It does not manage EC2 settings like termination protection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse AWS Config's managed rules (which cover common compliance checks) with the need for a custom rule and Lambda function to enforce a specific setting like termination protection, or mistakenly think services like Inspector or Patch Manager can handle configuration enforcement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Config custom rules use AWS Lambda functions that receive configuration items (CIs) from AWS Config and evaluate them against custom logic. The Lambda function can use the EC2 API's ModifyInstanceAttribute action with the DisableApiTermination parameter set to true to enable termination protection. This remediation can be triggered automatically via AWS Config's auto-remediation feature, which invokes the Lambda function when a non-compliant resource is detected, ensuring enforcement without manual intervention.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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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Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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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: AWS Config with a custom rule using AWS Lambda to evaluate and enable termination protection. — AWS Config can evaluate resources against desired configurations using managed or custom rules. A custom AWS Config rule can invoke a Lambda function to check if termination protection is enabled on EC2 instances and automatically enable it if missing, providing the required remediation. This approach directly addresses the requirement to enforce termination protection on all launched instances.
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 11, 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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