This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. 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 needs to store application secrets such as database passwords and API keys. The secrets must be automatically rotated every 30 days. Which THREE AWS services or features can be used together to meet this requirement? (Choose THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Lambda to implement the rotation function
AWS Lambda is correct because it can be used as a custom rotation function for AWS Secrets Manager. Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation using a Lambda function that updates the secret value in both the service and the database or third-party service. This allows the company to meet the 30-day rotation requirement by scheduling the Lambda function via a CloudWatch Events rule or Secrets Manager's built-in rotation schedule.
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.
✓
AWS Lambda to implement the rotation function
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager uses Lambda to rotate secrets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
AWS CloudHSM
Why it's wrong here
CloudHSM is for hardware security modules, not for secret rotation.
✗
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Why it's wrong here
Parameter Store does not automatically rotate secrets.
✓
AWS Secrets Manager
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager stores secrets and supports automatic rotation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
AWS KMS to encrypt the secrets
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager encrypts secrets with KMS keys.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with Secrets Manager, but Parameter Store lacks native automatic rotation, making it unsuitable for this requirement without additional custom infrastructure.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Secrets Manager uses a Lambda rotation function that follows a four-phase protocol: createSecret, setSecret, testSecret, and finishSecret. The rotation schedule is defined in days (e.g., 30) and triggers the Lambda function via an Amazon CloudWatch Events rule. The Lambda function must have IAM permissions to read and write the secret in Secrets Manager and to update the credential in the target service (e.g., RDS, Redshift, or a custom endpoint).
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Lambda to implement the rotation function — AWS Lambda is correct because it can be used as a custom rotation function for AWS Secrets Manager. Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation using a Lambda function that updates the secret value in both the service and the database or third-party service. This allows the company to meet the 30-day rotation requirement by scheduling the Lambda function via a CloudWatch Events rule or Secrets Manager's built-in rotation schedule.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This DVA-C02 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 DVA-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
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