DBS-C01 Database Security Practice Question
A company wants to audit all SQL queries made to their Amazon RDS for MySQL database. Which AWS service should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse CloudTrail (which logs AWS API calls) with database-level auditing, failing to recognize that CloudTrail does not capture SQL queries executed inside the database engine.
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
✓
Database Activity Streams
Database Activity Streams (D) is the correct choice because it provides a near-real-time stream of database activity, including all SQL queries, directly from the RDS for MySQL engine. This service integrates with AWS services like Amazon Kinesis and third-party monitoring tools to capture and audit every SQL statement, user login, and schema change at the database engine level, which is essential for comprehensive auditing.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
VPC Flow Logs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs capture IP traffic information.
- ✗
AWS Config
Why it's wrong here
AWS Config tracks resource configuration changes.
- ✗
AWS CloudTrail
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls, not database queries.
- ✓
Database Activity Streams
Why this is correct
Database Activity Streams for Amazon RDS for MySQL push transactional logs directly to Amazon Kinesis, enabling near-real-time capture of all SQL queries at the database engine level. This satisfies the audit requirement without enabling slow query logs or general logs, which would impose performance overhead. The stream integrates with AWS CloudTrail and third-party monitoring tools for compliance analysis.
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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.