The correct answer is to enable the Aurora audit log, publish those logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs, and then create a CloudWatch Logs subscription filter to stream them to an S3 bucket. This works because Aurora MySQL can natively export audit records to CloudWatch Logs without any additional agents, and a subscription filter provides a serverless, managed pipeline to deliver those logs directly into S3 for long-term storage. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of the native integration between Aurora, CloudWatch Logs, and S3, and it commonly traps candidates who assume Aurora can write directly to S3 or who overcomplicate the solution with Kinesis or third-party tools. A key memory tip is to remember the chain: Aurora writes to CloudWatch, CloudWatch streams to S3—never skip the middle service.
DBS-C01 Database Security Practice Question
This DBS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of database security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 is using Amazon Aurora MySQL-Compatible Edition. The security team wants to audit all database login attempts and store the logs in Amazon S3 for 90 days. Which solution meets these requirements with the LEAST operational overhead?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Enable the Aurora audit log and publish logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. Create a CloudWatch Logs subscription filter to stream the logs to an Amazon S3 bucket.
This uses managed services with minimal configuration.
B
Enable the Aurora audit log and configure the DB cluster to publish logs directly to an S3 bucket.
Why wrong: Aurora does not support direct log publishing to S3.
C
Install a custom audit plugin on the Aurora cluster that writes logs to a file, then use an AWS Lambda function to upload the file to S3.
Why wrong: Requires custom development and maintenance.
D
Enable the Aurora audit log and use Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose to stream the logs to S3.
Why wrong: Aurora does not natively stream logs to Kinesis.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable the Aurora audit log and publish logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. Create a CloudWatch Logs subscription filter to stream the logs to an Amazon S3 bucket.
Option D is correct because Aurora can publish audit logs to CloudWatch Logs, which can then be streamed to S3 via a subscription filter. Option A is wrong because Aurora does not directly write logs to S3. Option B is wrong because third-party tools add operational overhead. Option C is wrong because RDS does not send logs to Kinesis directly.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 the Aurora audit log and publish logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. Create a CloudWatch Logs subscription filter to stream the logs to an Amazon S3 bucket.
Why this is correct
This uses managed services with minimal configuration.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Enable the Aurora audit log and configure the DB cluster to publish logs directly to an S3 bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Aurora does not support direct log publishing to S3.
✗
Install a custom audit plugin on the Aurora cluster that writes logs to a file, then use an AWS Lambda function to upload the file to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Requires custom development and maintenance.
✗
Enable the Aurora audit log and use Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose to stream the logs to S3.
Why it's wrong here
Aurora does not natively stream logs to Kinesis.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DBS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Database Security — This question tests Database Security — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable the Aurora audit log and publish logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs. Create a CloudWatch Logs subscription filter to stream the logs to an Amazon S3 bucket. — Option D is correct because Aurora can publish audit logs to CloudWatch Logs, which can then be streamed to S3 via a subscription filter. Option A is wrong because Aurora does not directly write logs to S3. Option B is wrong because third-party tools add operational overhead. Option C is wrong because RDS does not send logs to Kinesis directly.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DBS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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