DBS-C01 Database Security Practice Question
A developer needs to allow an application running on an EC2 instance to connect to an Amazon RDS for MySQL DB instance securely. Which combination of steps should the developer take?
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
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Attach an IAM role to the EC2 instance with permissions to use RDS IAM authentication, and configure the database to use an authentication token.
The most secure method to allow an EC2 instance to connect to an RDS for MySQL DB instance is to use IAM roles for EC2 combined with IAM database authentication. By attaching an IAM role to the EC2 instance that has permissions to generate RDS authentication tokens, and configuring the DB instance to accept authentication tokens instead of passwords, the application can obtain temporary credentials without hardcoding or storing any secrets. Option A is insecure because storing credentials in application code exposes them to anyone with access to the code. Option B is insecure because opening the security group to all traffic (0.0.0.0/0) exposes the database to the internet. Option C is insecure because storing credentials in S3 and downloading them at runtime still involves storing static credentials and adds potential risk from S3 access misconfiguration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Store the database password in the application code.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Storing the database password in the application code is insecure because it exposes credentials to anyone who can access the code or decompile the application.
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Open the RDS security group to allow traffic from 0.0.0.0/0.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Opening the RDS security group to 0.0.0.0/0 allows any IP address to attempt to connect to the database, which is a major security risk.
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Store the credentials in an S3 bucket and download them at runtime.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Storing credentials in an S3 bucket and downloading them at runtime still involves static credentials and introduces additional risk if the S3 bucket is misconfigured or access keys are exposed.
- ✓
Attach an IAM role to the EC2 instance with permissions to use RDS IAM authentication, and configure the database to use an authentication token.
Why this is correct
Correct. Attaching an IAM role to the EC2 instance with permissions to use RDS IAM authentication and configuring the database to use an authentication token provides a secure, passwordless authentication method using temporary credentials.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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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.