DVA-C02 Development with AWS Services Practice Question
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 building a serverless application using AWS Lambda to process user uploads to Amazon S3. The Lambda function needs to access a DynamoDB table to store metadata. What is the MOST secure way to grant the Lambda function access to DynamoDB?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an IAM role with a policy that grants DynamoDB access and attach it to the Lambda function.
Option B is correct because attaching an IAM role to the Lambda function with the least privilege permissions is the AWS best practice for granting permissions to AWS services. Option A is wrong because storing access keys in environment variables is insecure. Option C is wrong because resource-based policies are for granting cross-account access, not for Lambda's own permissions. Option D is wrong because hardcoding credentials is a security risk.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Store IAM user access keys in the Lambda function's environment variables.
Why it's wrong here
Storing access keys in environment variables is insecure and not recommended.
✗
Use a resource-based policy on the DynamoDB table to allow the Lambda function's ARN.
Why it's wrong here
Resource-based policies are used for cross-account access, not for Lambda's own permissions.
✓
Create an IAM role with a policy that grants DynamoDB access and attach it to the Lambda function.
Why this is correct
Using an IAM role is the secure way to grant permissions to Lambda functions.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
Hardcode the DynamoDB credentials in the Lambda function code.
Why it's wrong here
Hardcoding credentials is insecure and against best practices.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related DVA-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an IAM role with a policy that grants DynamoDB access and attach it to the Lambda function. — Option B is correct because attaching an IAM role to the Lambda function with the least privilege permissions is the AWS best practice for granting permissions to AWS services. Option A is wrong because storing access keys in environment variables is insecure. Option C is wrong because resource-based policies are for granting cross-account access, not for Lambda's own permissions. Option D is wrong because hardcoding credentials is a security risk.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related DVA-C02 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Question Discussion
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