Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company runs a web application on Amazon EC2 instances that connect to an Amazon RDS MySQL database. The application requires database credentials to authenticate. The security team wants to eliminate the practice of storing database credentials in the application code or configuration files. Additionally, the team needs a managed service that can automatically rotate the database credentials on a regular schedule without any manual intervention. Which AWS service should the security team use to store and manage these database credentials?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
AWS Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager is the correct choice because it is designed specifically for storing secrets (like database credentials) and supports automatic rotation of secrets for Amazon RDS databases without manual effort.
B
Distractor review
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store can store secure string parameters, but it does not offer native automatic rotation of secrets. You would need additional custom automation to rotate credentials, which does not meet the requirement for a managed automatic rotation service.
C
Distractor review
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles
IAM roles are used to grant permissions to AWS resources and services (e.g., an EC2 instance assuming a role to access S3). They are not designed to store or rotate database credentials for an application connecting to a database.
D
Distractor review
AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS)
AWS KMS is a service for creating and managing encryption keys used to encrypt data. It does not store database credentials or provide any mechanism for credential rotation.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A developer needs to launch a test server for a new application prototype. The developer logs into the AWS Management Console, selects an Amazon EC2 instance type, configures the security group, and starts the instance. The instance is running within two minutes, and the developer did not need to submit a formal request to the company's IT procurement team or wait for approval from a cloud administrator. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this scenario best demonstrate?
Question 2
A solutions architect is planning a new web application on AWS. The workload will include 3 Amazon EC2 instances (t3.medium) running 24/7, an Application Load Balancer, and an Amazon RDS for MySQL db.t3.small database. The architect needs to estimate the monthly cost for the first year, considering different purchasing options (On-Demand, 1-year All Upfront Reserved Instance, and Compute Savings Plan). Which AWS tool should the architect use to create this estimate?
Question 3
A company's development team frequently needs temporary test environments. A developer can log into the AWS Management Console, select an Amazon EC2 instance type, configure storage, and launch the instance within minutes without any interaction with the IT infrastructure team. This capability is an example of which essential characteristic of cloud computing?
Question 4
A company's finance team needs to analyze AWS spending in detail. They require a report that includes hourly cost data for each AWS service, each individual resource (e.g., a specific EC2 instance), and any cost allocation tags applied. The team plans to export this data to an Amazon S3 bucket and then import it into a custom business intelligence (BI) analytics dashboard. Which AWS tool should the finance team use to generate this level of detailed cost data?
Question 5
A company uses AWS for its development environment. The finance team wants to set a monthly budget of $10,000. They want to receive an email notification when the actual costs reach 80% of the budget ($8,000) and again when costs exceed the budget. The team needs a managed AWS service that can automatically send these alerts without requiring custom code or third-party tools. Which AWS service should the team use?
Question 6
A company uses AWS Organizations to manage multiple accounts. The security team needs to enforce a policy that restricts SSH access (port 22) from the internet (0.0.0.0/0) in all VPCs across all accounts. The team wants to centrally define the allowed rules and automatically apply them to newly created VPCs and security groups, while also automatically remediating any existing non-compliant security groups. Which AWS service should the team use?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Secrets Manager — AWS Secrets Manager is purpose-built to securely store, manage, and automatically rotate secrets such as database credentials, API keys, and other sensitive information. It integrates natively with Amazon RDS to enable automatic rotation of credentials on a schedule you define, reducing the risk of credential exposure. AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store can also store secrets using SecureString parameters, but it does not provide built-in automatic rotation. IAM roles are used for granting AWS API access to EC2 instances, not for storing database credentials. AWS KMS is a key management service for encryption keys, not a secret storage service.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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