Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon S3 server access logs and AWS CloudTrail. S3 server access logs provide detailed records of every request made to a bucket, including the requester’s IP address, request type, and HTTP status code, which directly reveals unauthorized access attempts. CloudTrail complements this by capturing all API calls to S3, such as GetObject or PutObject, along with the identity of the caller (IAM user or role) and the source IP, enabling full traceability of the incident. On the SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between logging services: a common trap is to overlook S3 server access logs in favor of CloudTrail alone, but the exam expects both for complete visibility. Remember that CloudTrail tracks who did what via the API, while server access logs capture every HTTP request, including anonymous or unauthenticated access. A useful memory tip is “API for identity, logs for every request.”
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 SysOps administrator is investigating a security incident where an unauthorized user accessed an S3 bucket. Which TWO AWS services can the administrator use to collect and analyze the relevant logs?
AWS WAF logs
Why wrong: WAF logs are for web ACLs, not S3 access.
Amazon VPC Flow Logs
Why wrong: VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic, not S3 API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
CloudTrail can log S3 data events if enabled.
Amazon Route 53 resolver logs
Why wrong: These are for DNS queries.
Amazon S3 server access logs
These logs record all requests made to the bucket.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail is correct because it records API calls made to S3, including who made the request, the source IP address, and the time of the action. This allows the administrator to trace the unauthorized access to a specific IAM user or role and identify the exact API operations performed, such as GetObject or PutObject.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS WAF logs
Why it's wrong here
WAF logs are for web ACLs, not S3 access.
Amazon VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic, not S3 API calls.
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail can log S3 data events if enabled.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon Route 53 resolver logs
Why it's wrong here
These are for DNS queries.
Amazon S3 server access logs
Why this is correct
These logs record all requests made to the bucket.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse VPC Flow Logs with S3 access logs, thinking network-level logs can capture S3 API calls, but VPC Flow Logs only show IP traffic metadata and not the application-level S3 operations.
Detailed technical explanation
CloudTrail delivers S3 data events (e.g., GetObject, PutObject) only when data event logging is explicitly enabled for the bucket, and these events are logged as JSON records containing the user identity, request parameters, and response elements. S3 server access logs provide detailed records about requests made to a bucket, including object key, operation, and HTTP status, but they are delivered on a best-effort basis and can have a delay of up to a few hours. For real-time analysis, CloudTrail is preferred, while S3 server access logs are useful for forensic analysis of request patterns.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — This question tests Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS CloudTrail — AWS CloudTrail is correct because it records API calls made to S3, including who made the request, the source IP address, and the time of the action. This allows the administrator to trace the unauthorized access to a specific IAM user or role and identify the exact API operations performed, such as GetObject or PutObject.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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