DBS-C01 Database Security Practice Question
Which THREE measures can help protect an Amazon RDS database from a DDoS attack? (Choose 3.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently think making an RDS instance publicly accessible is acceptable for monitoring purposes, but AWS best practices require all database access to go through a bastion host or VPN, and disabling audit logging is a common distractor that appears to reduce overhead but actually removes critical security visibility without any DDoS benefit.
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
✓
Place the RDS instance in a private subnet without direct internet access.
Placing the RDS instance in a private subnet without direct internet access (Option A) prevents any external traffic from reaching the database endpoint, removing the attack surface entirely. Using security groups to restrict inbound traffic to known IP addresses (Option B) limits the sources that can initiate connections, reducing the potential for volumetric attacks. AWS Shield Advanced (Option D) provides additional DDoS mitigation capabilities, including detection and automatic application-layer protections. These three measures work together to defend against different attack vectors.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Place the RDS instance in a private subnet without direct internet access.
Why this is correct
Reduces exposure to DDoS attacks.
- ✓
Use security groups to restrict inbound traffic to known IP addresses.
Why this is correct
Limits attack surface.
- ✗
Make the RDS instance publicly accessible for easy monitoring.
Why it's wrong here
Public access increases vulnerability.
- ✓
Use AWS Shield Advanced.
Why this is correct
AWS Shield Advanced provides DDoS protection.
- ✗
Disable audit logging to reduce resource usage.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling logging does not prevent DDoS.
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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.