DBS-C01 Database Security Practice Question
A startup is using Amazon RDS for MySQL as its primary database. The database contains user profiles and payment information. The security team wants to ensure that database snapshots are encrypted and that the encryption key is managed by the company. The team also wants to enforce that all future snapshots are encrypted automatically. The current RDS instance is not encrypted. What should they do?
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
✓
Create a new encrypted RDS instance, migrate the data, and point the application to the new instance.
For an unencrypted RDS instance, you cannot enable encryption directly. You have two valid options: either create a new encrypted instance and migrate the data (Option B), or take a snapshot, copy it with encryption enabled, and restore from that encrypted snapshot (Option D). Both methods result in an encrypted instance. Option D is often simpler and faster. Option A is incorrect because encryption cannot be enabled on an existing instance. Option C is incorrect because RDS encryption is not applied at the EBS volume level; it is managed at the instance level.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable encryption on the existing RDS instance by modifying the DB instance.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. You cannot enable encryption on an existing unencrypted RDS instance by modifying it.
- ✓
Create a new encrypted RDS instance, migrate the data, and point the application to the new instance.
Why this is correct
Correct. Creating a new encrypted RDS instance and migrating data is a valid approach to achieve encryption.
- ✗
Use AWS KMS to encrypt the underlying EBS volumes of the RDS instance.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. AWS KMS does not encrypt RDS instances at the EBS volume level; RDS encryption is separate.
- ✓
Take a snapshot of the current instance, copy it with encryption enabled, and restore from the encrypted snapshot.
Why this is correct
Correct. Taking a snapshot, copying it with encryption, and restoring from the encrypted snapshot is a valid and often simpler method to obtain an encrypted RDS instance.
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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.