- A
The CloudWatch Logs log group does not exist and RDS cannot create it automatically.
Why wrong: RDS can create the log group automatically if the IAM role has sufficient permissions.
- B
The DB cluster is not configured to export error logs, only audit logs.
Why wrong: The issue is about audit logs not appearing, not error logs.
- C
The IAM role used for publishing logs does not have the necessary permissions to use the KMS key for CloudWatch Logs.
The IAM role must have kms:Encrypt permission on the KMS key to allow log delivery.
- D
CloudWatch Logs does not support encryption with customer-managed KMS keys for audit logs.
Why wrong: CloudWatch Logs does support customer-managed KMS keys.
- E
The audit log parameter is static and requires a DB cluster reboot after modification.
Why wrong: Some audit log parameters are dynamic and do not require reboot; but the issue is not about parameter modification.
Quick Answer
The answer is that the IAM role used for publishing logs lacks the necessary permissions to use the customer-managed KMS key for CloudWatch Logs. When troubleshooting Aurora MySQL audit logs not appearing in CloudWatch, the core issue is that RDS requires explicit `kms:Encrypt` and `kms:Decrypt` actions on the KMS key to encrypt the log stream; without these, the service cannot write the logs, and they silently fail to appear. On the AWS Certified Database Specialty DBS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the IAM-to-KMS trust chain—a common trap is assuming the KMS key policy alone is sufficient, when in fact the RDS IAM role must also be a grantee in the key policy. Remember the memory tip: "Role + Key = Logs," meaning both the IAM role’s permissions and the KMS key policy must align for encrypted log delivery to succeed.
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 stores financial data in an Amazon Aurora MySQL DB cluster. The security team requires that database audit logs be stored in Amazon CloudWatch Logs and encrypted at rest using a customer-managed KMS key. The database specialist enables audit log publishing to CloudWatch Logs and specifies a KMS key for log encryption. However, the audit logs are not appearing in CloudWatch Logs. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
The IAM role used for publishing logs does not have the necessary permissions to use the KMS key for CloudWatch Logs.
When publishing database audit logs to CloudWatch Logs with a customer-managed KMS key, the IAM role used by RDS must have explicit permissions for the `kms:Encrypt` and `kms:Decrypt` actions on the KMS key. Without these permissions, RDS cannot encrypt the log stream, and the logs will not appear. Option C correctly identifies this missing permission as the most likely cause.
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.
- ✗
The CloudWatch Logs log group does not exist and RDS cannot create it automatically.
Why it's wrong here
RDS can create the log group automatically if the IAM role has sufficient permissions.
- ✗
The DB cluster is not configured to export error logs, only audit logs.
Why it's wrong here
The issue is about audit logs not appearing, not error logs.
- ✓
The IAM role used for publishing logs does not have the necessary permissions to use the KMS key for CloudWatch Logs.
Why this is correct
The IAM role must have kms:Encrypt permission on the KMS key to allow log delivery.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
CloudWatch Logs does not support encryption with customer-managed KMS keys for audit logs.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch Logs does support customer-managed KMS keys.
- ✗
The audit log parameter is static and requires a DB cluster reboot after modification.
Why it's wrong here
Some audit log parameters are dynamic and do not require reboot; but the issue is not about parameter modification.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume the issue is a missing log group or a static parameter, but the exam tests the nuanced requirement that the IAM role must have explicit KMS key permissions for log encryption to work.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, RDS uses a service-linked IAM role (typically named `rds-monitoring-role`) to push logs to CloudWatch Logs. This role must have a resource-based policy on the KMS key that grants `kms:Encrypt` and `kms:Decrypt` permissions. Additionally, the KMS key policy must include the CloudWatch Logs service principal (`logs.<region>.amazonaws.com`) to allow log stream encryption. A common real-world scenario is when the KMS key is in a different AWS account or has a restrictive key policy that inadvertently blocks the RDS service.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: The IAM role used for publishing logs does not have the necessary permissions to use the KMS key for CloudWatch Logs. — When publishing database audit logs to CloudWatch Logs with a customer-managed KMS key, the IAM role used by RDS must have explicit permissions for the `kms:Encrypt` and `kms:Decrypt` actions on the KMS key. Without these permissions, RDS cannot encrypt the log stream, and the logs will not appear. Option C correctly identifies this missing permission as the most likely cause.
What should I do if I get this DBS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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