CCSP Cloud Security Operations Practice Question
A cloud security engineer is tasked with ensuring that all API calls made to AWS resources are logged for audit purposes. Which AWS service should be enabled to capture management events such as creating or deleting EC2 instances?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse AWS Config (which tracks configuration history) with CloudTrail (which tracks API calls), leading them to select AWS Config for audit logging of management events.
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 correct service because it is specifically designed to record API activity in an AWS account, including management events such as creating or deleting EC2 instances. It captures the who, what, when, and source IP for every API call, which is essential for audit logging and compliance. AWS Config, by contrast, records resource configuration changes and compliance history, not API call logs.
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
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config evaluates resource configurations against desired policies, but does not log API calls.
- ✓
AWS CloudTrail
Why this is correct
CloudTrail records API calls and can be enabled to capture management events.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
GuardDuty is a threat detection service, not a logging service.
- ✗
AWS Security Hub
Why it's wrong here
Security Hub aggregates security findings but does not log API calls.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.