This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of database security. 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.
A company is migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle. The security team requires that all data be encrypted at rest using a customer-managed KMS key. Additionally, the database should be accessible only from a specific VPC. Which THREE steps should the database specialist take to meet these requirements? (Choose three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure the security group for the RDS instance to allow inbound traffic only from the application security group.
Option A is correct because security groups act as a virtual firewall for RDS instances. By configuring the security group to allow inbound traffic only from the application security group, you restrict database access to specific application servers, meeting the requirement that the database be accessible only from a specific VPC.
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.
✓
Configure the security group for the RDS instance to allow inbound traffic only from the application security group.
Why this is correct
This restricts access to the application's security group.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Launch the RDS instance in a private subnet of the VPC.
Why this is correct
A private subnet prevents public internet access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a VPC endpoint for RDS and associate it with the DB instance.
Why it's wrong here
VPC endpoints are not used for DB instances; they are for accessing AWS services privately.
✗
Store the encryption key in Amazon S3 and configure RDS to use it.
Why it's wrong here
KMS keys are not stored in S3; they are managed by KMS.
✓
Enable encryption at rest using a customer-managed KMS key when creating the RDS instance.
Why this is correct
This meets the encryption requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse VPC endpoints with network access control, thinking a VPC endpoint restricts access to the database, when in fact it only provides a private connection path without limiting which resources can connect.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When you enable encryption at rest for an RDS instance using a customer-managed KMS key, the key is used to encrypt the database storage, automated backups, read replicas, and snapshots. The encryption is performed using the AES-256 algorithm, and the key is managed through AWS KMS, which integrates with RDS to handle key rotation and access control. Placing the RDS instance in a private subnet ensures it has no public IP address, and the security group acts as the primary access control mechanism at the instance level.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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.
Database Security — This question tests Database Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the security group for the RDS instance to allow inbound traffic only from the application security group. — Option A is correct because security groups act as a virtual firewall for RDS instances. By configuring the security group to allow inbound traffic only from the application security group, you restrict database access to specific application servers, meeting the requirement that the database be accessible only from a specific VPC.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 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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Question Discussion
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