Quick Answer
The answer is AWS CloudTrail and Amazon CloudWatch Logs. CloudTrail records every API call made in your AWS account, capturing who made the call, when, and from where, while CloudWatch Logs can ingest those logs and apply metric filters to detect suspicious patterns such as repeated failed authentication attempts or calls from unusual IP addresses. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this pairing tests your understanding of how to operationalize audit data for real-time security monitoring—a common trap is confusing CloudTrail with AWS Config, which tracks resource configuration changes, not API calls. Remember that CloudTrail is the source of truth for API activity, and CloudWatch Logs is the engine that analyzes it; think of it as “Trail for the trail, Watch for the watch.”
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of monitoring, logging, and remediation. 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 wants to monitor AWS API calls for suspicious activity. Which TWO AWS services can be used together to achieve this?
VPC Flow Logs
Why wrong: VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic, not API calls.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
CloudWatch Logs can analyze CloudTrail logs for suspicious patterns.
Amazon Inspector
Why wrong: Amazon Inspector assesses vulnerabilities, not API calls.
AWS Config
Why wrong: AWS Config records resource configuration changes, not API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
CloudTrail logs API activity.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Options B and C are correct. CloudTrail logs API calls, and CloudWatch Logs can ingest those logs and use metric filters to detect suspicious patterns. Option A (AWS Config) records resource changes, not API calls. Option D (VPC Flow Logs) captures network traffic. Option E (Amazon Inspector) is for security assessments.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic, not API calls.
Amazon CloudWatch Logs
Why this is correct
CloudWatch Logs can analyze CloudTrail logs for suspicious patterns.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector assesses vulnerabilities, not API calls.
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config records resource configuration changes, not API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs API activity.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SOA-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — This question tests Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: Amazon CloudWatch Logs — Options B and C are correct. CloudTrail logs API calls, and CloudWatch Logs can ingest those logs and use metric filters to detect suspicious patterns. Option A (AWS Config) records resource changes, not API calls. Option D (VPC Flow Logs) captures network traffic. Option E (Amazon Inspector) is for security assessments.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SOA-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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