- A
AWS WAF
Why wrong: WAF is a web application firewall.
- B
Amazon GuardDuty
GuardDuty uses ML to detect threats like crypto mining.
- C
Amazon Inspector
Why wrong: Inspector is for vulnerability assessment, not threat detection.
- D
AWS Shield
Why wrong: Shield protects against DDoS attacks.
Question 756 of 1,000
CCSP Cloud Security Operations Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud security operations. 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.
An organization wants to detect potential crypto mining activity on their AWS EC2 instances. Which AWS service uses machine learning to identify such threats?
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
✓
Amazon GuardDuty
Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that uses machine learning, anomaly detection, and integrated threat intelligence to continuously monitor for malicious activity, including cryptocurrency mining (e.g., connections to known mining pools or unusual compute resource spikes). It analyzes AWS CloudTrail logs, VPC Flow Logs, and DNS logs to identify behavioral patterns indicative of crypto mining, such as sustained outbound traffic to mining pool IPs or unusual EC2 instance launches.
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 WAF
Why it's wrong here
WAF is a web application firewall.
- ✓
Amazon GuardDuty
Why this is correct
GuardDuty uses ML to detect threats like crypto mining.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Inspector is for vulnerability assessment, not threat detection.
- ✗
AWS Shield
Why it's wrong here
Shield protects against DDoS attacks.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Amazon Inspector (a vulnerability scanner) with GuardDuty (a threat detection service), mistakenly thinking Inspector's agent-based monitoring can detect runtime threats like crypto mining, when in fact Inspector only assesses configuration and software vulnerabilities.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GuardDuty's machine learning models are trained on AWS-specific baseline behaviors, such as typical EC2 instance CPU utilization and outbound traffic patterns, to detect deviations like sustained connections to known crypto mining pools (e.g., Stratum protocol on port 3333). It also leverages threat intelligence feeds from CrowdStrike and Proofpoint to identify malicious IPs and domains associated with mining command-and-control servers. In a real-world scenario, GuardDuty can detect a compromised EC2 instance that suddenly starts communicating with a mining pool over non-standard ports, even if the instance was initially launched for legitimate purposes.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CCSP question test?
Cloud Security Operations — This question tests Cloud Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon GuardDuty — Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that uses machine learning, anomaly detection, and integrated threat intelligence to continuously monitor for malicious activity, including cryptocurrency mining (e.g., connections to known mining pools or unusual compute resource spikes). It analyzes AWS CloudTrail logs, VPC Flow Logs, and DNS logs to identify behavioral patterns indicative of crypto mining, such as sustained outbound traffic to mining pool IPs or unusual EC2 instance launches.
What should I do if I get this CCSP 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
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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