- A
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store (SecureString parameters)
Why wrong: While Parameter Store can securely store secrets as SecureString parameters, it does not natively support automatic rotation. A custom AWS Lambda function must be created to rotate the secret, which does not meet the requirement for a fully managed, no-custom-scripting solution.
- B
AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS)
Why wrong: AWS KMS manages encryption keys, not credentials. It cannot store or rotate database passwords. While it can be used to encrypt the password at rest, it does not provide retrieval or rotation capabilities.
- C
AWS Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager is a fully managed service for storing, retrieving, and automatically rotating secrets, including database credentials. It integrates with Amazon RDS to enable automatic rotation without custom code, meeting all requirements.
- D
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles for Amazon EC2
Why wrong: IAM roles for EC2 provide temporary credentials for applications to access AWS APIs, but they cannot be used to manage or rotate database passwords. Database credentials are separate from AWS credentials.
CLF-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 runs a web application on Amazon EC2 instances behind an Application Load Balancer. The application connects to an Amazon RDS for MySQL database. The database password is currently hardcoded in the application configuration file, and the security team is concerned about the risk of exposure. The company wants to remove the hardcoded credential and instead have the application retrieve the database password securely at runtime. Additionally, the security team requires that the password be automatically rotated every 90 days without any manual intervention or custom scripting. Which AWS service should the company use to meet these requirements?
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 Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager is the correct choice because it is purpose-built for securely storing, retrieving, and automatically rotating database credentials (including RDS for MySQL) without custom code. It supports native, automatic rotation of secrets every 90 days via a built-in Lambda rotation function, meeting the security team's requirement for zero manual intervention. Unlike Parameter Store, Secrets Manager provides automatic rotation out of the box, which is the key differentiator here.
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 Systems Manager Parameter Store (SecureString parameters)
Why it's wrong here
While Parameter Store can securely store secrets as SecureString parameters, it does not natively support automatic rotation. A custom AWS Lambda function must be created to rotate the secret, which does not meet the requirement for a fully managed, no-custom-scripting solution.
- ✗
AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS)
Why it's wrong here
AWS KMS manages encryption keys, not credentials. It cannot store or rotate database passwords. While it can be used to encrypt the password at rest, it does not provide retrieval or rotation capabilities.
- ✓
AWS Secrets Manager
Why this is correct
AWS Secrets Manager is a fully managed service for storing, retrieving, and automatically rotating secrets, including database credentials. It integrates with Amazon RDS to enable automatic rotation without custom code, meeting all requirements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles for Amazon EC2
Why it's wrong here
IAM roles for EC2 provide temporary credentials for applications to access AWS APIs, but they cannot be used to manage or rotate database passwords. Database credentials are separate from AWS credentials.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store (SecureString) with Secrets Manager, but Parameter Store lacks native automatic rotation, which is the critical requirement in this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Secrets Manager uses an AWS Lambda function (the rotation function) that is automatically invoked on a schedule defined by the rotation interval (e.g., 90 days). The Lambda function updates the password in both Secrets Manager and the RDS database atomically, ensuring consistency. Under the hood, Secrets Manager integrates with RDS via a resource-based policy and the Lambda function uses the master secret to create a new password, then tests it before marking the new version as current.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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.
- →
Security and Compliance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Secrets Manager — AWS Secrets Manager is the correct choice because it is purpose-built for securely storing, retrieving, and automatically rotating database credentials (including RDS for MySQL) without custom code. It supports native, automatic rotation of secrets every 90 days via a built-in Lambda rotation function, meeting the security team's requirement for zero manual intervention. Unlike Parameter Store, Secrets Manager provides automatic rotation out of the box, which is the key differentiator here.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-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 CLF-C02 exam.
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