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Database Security →hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped

DBS-C01 Database Security Practice Question

This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of database security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 uses Amazon DynamoDB to store session data for a web application. The security team discovers that an IAM user has been performing unauthorized scans on the table. They need to implement controls to detect and prevent such unauthorized access in the future. Which THREE actions should the security team take? (Choose THREE.)

A
Enable AWS CloudTrail logging and create a metric filter for Scan API calls.
CloudTrail logs API calls, and metric filters can trigger alarms on unauthorized scans.
B
Use fine-grained access control with IAM conditions to restrict access to specific items or attributes.
This limits what data can be accessed even if a scan is allowed.
C
Disable the Scan operation on the DynamoDB table.
Why wrong: Scan operations are often needed; disabling them would break functionality.
D
Create an IAM policy that denies the 'Scan' action for unauthorized users using a condition key.
This prevents unauthorized users from performing scans.
E
Enable VPC Flow Logs to monitor traffic to DynamoDB.
Why wrong: VPC Flow Logs show network traffic, not DynamoDB operations.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Enable AWS CloudTrail logging and create a metric filter for Scan API calls.

Options A, B, and D are correct. Option A: Enabling CloudTrail logging and creating a metric filter for Scan API calls allows the security team to detect unauthorized scan attempts in real time and trigger alerts. Option B: Using fine-grained access control with IAM conditions (e.g., 'dynamodb:LeadingKeys' or 'dynamodb:Attributes') restricts access to specific items or attributes, preventing unauthorized scans from retrieving sensitive data. Option D: Creating an IAM policy that denies the 'Scan' action for unauthorized users using a condition key (e.g., 'aws:SourceIp' or custom tag) provides a preventive control to block unauthorized scans at the API level. Option C is incorrect because disabling the Scan operation on the DynamoDB table would break legitimate use cases that require scanning (e.g., admin queries, reporting) and is not a recommended control. Option E is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic to DynamoDB, not the DynamoDB API operations themselves, so they cannot detect scans.

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.

✓
Enable AWS CloudTrail logging and create a metric filter for Scan API calls.
Why this is correct
CloudTrail logs API calls, and metric filters can trigger alarms on unauthorized scans.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Use fine-grained access control with IAM conditions to restrict access to specific items or attributes.
Why this is correct
This limits what data can be accessed even if a scan is allowed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Disable the Scan operation on the DynamoDB table.
Why it's wrong here
Scan operations are often needed; disabling them would break functionality.
✓
Create an IAM policy that denies the 'Scan' action for unauthorized users using a condition key.
Why this is correct
This prevents unauthorized users from performing scans.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable VPC Flow Logs to monitor traffic to DynamoDB.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Flow Logs show network traffic, not DynamoDB operations.

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.

Trap categories for this question

Command / output trap
VPC Flow Logs show network traffic, not DynamoDB operations.

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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.

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.

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Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this DBS-C01 question test?

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: Enable AWS CloudTrail logging and create a metric filter for Scan API calls. — Options A, B, and D are correct. Option A: Enabling CloudTrail logging and creating a metric filter for Scan API calls allows the security team to detect unauthorized scan attempts in real time and trigger alerts. Option B: Using fine-grained access control with IAM conditions (e.g., 'dynamodb:LeadingKeys' or 'dynamodb:Attributes') restricts access to specific items or attributes, preventing unauthorized scans from retrieving sensitive data. Option D: Creating an IAM policy that denies the 'Scan' action for unauthorized users using a condition key (e.g., 'aws:SourceIp' or custom tag) provides a preventive control to block unauthorized scans at the API level. Option C is incorrect because disabling the Scan operation on the DynamoDB table would break legitimate use cases that require scanning (e.g., admin queries, reporting) and is not a recommended control. Option E is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs capture network traffic to DynamoDB, not the DynamoDB API operations themselves, so they cannot detect scans.

What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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