This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of database security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 financial services company uses Amazon DynamoDB to store transaction data. The table is encrypted with an AWS managed KMS key. The compliance team requires that the encryption key be rotated every 90 days. The current key was created 6 months ago and has not been rotated. The company also needs to ensure that all access to the table is logged for audit purposes. The security engineer proposes to enable DynamoDB Streams and AWS CloudTrail. However, the compliance team notes that CloudTrail only logs management plane events (e.g., CreateTable) and not data plane events (e.g., GetItem, PutItem). What should the engineer do to meet both requirements?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a customer managed KMS key, enable automatic key rotation, and configure CloudTrail to log data events for the DynamoDB table.
Option C is correct. DynamoDB can use a customer managed KMS key, which allows the customer to enable automatic key rotation (every year) or manual rotation. However, automatic rotation is not every 90 days; the engineer can create a new key every 90 days and update the table to use it. Additionally, to log data plane events, they must enable Amazon CloudWatch Logs for DynamoDB or use AWS CloudTrail data events. Option A is wrong because AWS managed keys do not support rotation. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail can log data events if configured. Option D is wrong because streaming logs to CloudWatch does not log data plane events.
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.
✗
Use AWS CloudTrail data events to capture DynamoDB data plane operations and store the logs in S3.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail can log data events, but the engineer should also address key rotation.
✗
Switch to an AWS managed KMS key and enable automatic rotation.
Why it's wrong here
AWS managed keys rotate automatically but not on a schedule of 90 days.
✗
Enable DynamoDB Streams and stream write events to CloudWatch Logs for auditing.
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB Streams capture changes, not all read/write operations.
✓
Create a customer managed KMS key, enable automatic key rotation, and configure CloudTrail to log data events for the DynamoDB table.
Why this is correct
Customer managed keys support rotation; CloudTrail data events log data plane operations.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Create a customer managed KMS key, enable automatic key rotation, and configure CloudTrail to log data events for the DynamoDB table. — Option C is correct. DynamoDB can use a customer managed KMS key, which allows the customer to enable automatic key rotation (every year) or manual rotation. However, automatic rotation is not every 90 days; the engineer can create a new key every 90 days and update the table to use it. Additionally, to log data plane events, they must enable Amazon CloudWatch Logs for DynamoDB or use AWS CloudTrail data events. Option A is wrong because AWS managed keys do not support rotation. Option B is wrong because CloudTrail can log data events if configured. Option D is wrong because streaming logs to CloudWatch does not log data plane events.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which DBS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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