DBS-C01 Database Security Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are methods to control access to an Amazon RDS DB instance? (Select TWO.)
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
✓
VPC security groups
Options A and B are correct. VPC security groups control network access to the RDS instance at the instance level, acting as a virtual firewall. IAM policies can control who can perform administrative actions on the RDS instance via the AWS API, such as creating, modifying, or deleting the instance. Option C is incorrect because CloudWatch alarms monitor performance metrics and trigger actions, but do not control access. Option D is incorrect because database passwords are a form of authentication for users connecting to the database, not a method to control access to the RDS instance itself. Option E is incorrect because S3 bucket policies control access to Amazon S3 resources, not RDS.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
VPC security groups
Why this is correct
Security groups act as a virtual firewall to control inbound traffic to the DB instance.
- ✓
IAM policies
Why this is correct
IAM policies control permissions for AWS API actions, such as creating or modifying RDS instances.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch alarms
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch alarms monitor and alert, they do not control access.
- ✗
Database passwords
Why it's wrong here
Passwords are authentication credentials, not access control mechanisms.
- ✗
Amazon S3 bucket policies
Why it's wrong here
S3 bucket policies control access to S3 resources, not RDS.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This DBS-C01 question is part of Courseiva's 1,663-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.