CHFI Application, Email and Cloud Forensics Practice Question
Which cloud service log is most appropriate for tracking API calls and resource changes in an AWS environment?
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 CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail is the service that records API activity and resource changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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AWS VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic metadata for network interfaces, subnets and VPCs, not control-plane API calls or resource modifications. It is tempting because it provides audit-style visibility, making it correct for diagnosing connectivity, security groups and rejected traffic, but the stem concerns API activity, which CloudTrail records.
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AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config records resource configuration states and changes over time, but it does not log the API calls that caused them, nor the caller identity. It is tempting because it tracks resource changes, which matches part of the stem, yet it is correct for compliance auditing of configuration drift, not for tracing who invoked which API.
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AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail records AWS API activity and resource changes across the account, capturing who did what, when and from where. This directly satisfies the need to track API calls and resource modifications, unlike flow logs or CloudWatch metrics.
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AWS CloudWatch Logs
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs stores application, system and custom log streams, not a structured record of control-plane API activity. It is tempting because it centralises log data and supports metric filters, making it correct for monitoring application output or Lambda logs, but API calls and resource changes are captured by CloudTrail instead.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CHFI practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CHFI exam.