DBS-C01 IAM Authentication Practice Question
A company is migrating an on-premises MongoDB database to Amazon DocumentDB (with MongoDB compatibility). The security team requires that data be encrypted at rest and in transit. Additionally, the team wants to use IAM roles to authenticate applications. Which THREE steps should the database specialist take 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
✓
Use IAM roles to authenticate applications to the DocumentDB cluster.
Options A, C, and E are correct. IAM roles (A) can be used for authentication to DocumentDB, enabling fine-grained access control. Encryption at rest (C) can be enabled when creating the cluster, as DocumentDB supports encrypted storage using AWS KMS. Encryption in transit (E) is achieved by using TLS for all connections. Option B is incorrect because DocumentDB uses a trusted certificate authority for TLS, not a custom CA. Option D is incorrect because VPC endpoints provide private connectivity but do not enforce encryption; encryption is handled at the cluster level and via TLS.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use IAM roles to authenticate applications to the DocumentDB cluster.
Why this is correct
Correct. IAM roles can be used to authenticate applications to DocumentDB, providing a secure and manageable authentication method.
- ✗
Use a custom certificate authority for SSL/TLS.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. DocumentDB uses TLS with certificates signed by a public CA (Amazon Trust Services). Custom CAs are not supported; the recommended approach is to use the public CA bundle.
- ✓
Enable encryption at rest for the DocumentDB cluster.
Why this is correct
Correct. Encryption at rest must be enabled when creating the DocumentDB cluster to protect stored data.
- ✗
Create a VPC endpoint for DocumentDB to enforce encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. VPC endpoints are not used to enforce encryption; they provide private connectivity. Encryption in transit is enforced by requiring TLS connections, and encryption at rest is a cluster-level setting.
- ✓
Enable encryption in transit by using TLS for all connections.
Why this is correct
Correct. Enforcing TLS for all connections ensures data in transit is encrypted.
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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.