DBS-C01 Database Security Practice Question
A company has an Amazon RDS for MySQL database that contains sensitive data. The security team requires that all data be encrypted at rest using a customer-managed key stored in AWS KMS. Which action should be taken to meet this requirement?
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
✓
Create a new RDS instance with encryption enabled using the KMS key, migrate data, and delete the old instance.
Amazon RDS encryption at rest with a customer-managed KMS key can only be enabled when the DB instance is created. You cannot enable encryption on an existing unencrypted instance (option A is incorrect). Once you create a new encrypted instance using the desired KMS key, you can migrate the data from the old instance and then delete it. Option D is incorrect because restoring a snapshot of an unencrypted database without modifying encryption settings will result in an unencrypted instance; you would need to create an encrypted copy of the snapshot first, which is not described. Option C is incorrect because DB parameter groups do not control encryption at rest.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable encryption on the existing RDS instance by modifying the instance.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption cannot be enabled on an existing RDS instance; it must be enabled at launch.
- ✓
Create a new RDS instance with encryption enabled using the KMS key, migrate data, and delete the old instance.
Why this is correct
This is the only way to achieve encryption at rest with a customer-managed KMS key for an existing database.
- ✗
Configure the DB parameter group to require encryption at rest.
Why it's wrong here
DB parameter groups control database engine parameters, not encryption at rest.
- ✗
Create a snapshot of the unencrypted database and restore it as an encrypted database.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring from an unencrypted snapshot cannot produce an encrypted database; encryption is set at snapshot creation.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 1,663 original DBS-C01 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DBS-C01 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 DBS-C01 exam.