- A
Store the AWS access key and secret key in a configuration file.
Why wrong: Storing long-term credentials on the instance is insecure and should be avoided. They do not rotate automatically.
- B
Use an IAM role and attach it to the EC2 instance profile.
This provides temporary credentials that are automatically rotated, following the principle of least privilege and security best practices.
- C
Use an IAM user and store credentials in AWS Secrets Manager.
Why wrong: While Secrets Manager securely stores secrets, the application would still need to retrieve them, and the credentials are long-term. An IAM role is simpler and more secure for EC2.
- D
Use the DynamoDB table's resource-based policy to allow the EC2 instance.
Why wrong: DynamoDB does not support resource-based policies; access is managed through IAM policies attached to IAM users, groups, or roles.
DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
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 runs an application on Amazon EC2 instances that need to read data from an Amazon DynamoDB table. The developer must grant access to DynamoDB without storing any long-term credentials on the instance. Which approach should the developer use?
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
Use an IAM role and attach it to the EC2 instance profile.
Option B is correct because attaching an IAM role to an EC2 instance profile allows the instance to obtain temporary security credentials from the AWS Security Token Service (STS) via the instance metadata service. This eliminates the need to store long-term credentials on the instance, adhering to the principle of least privilege and improving security posture.
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.
- ✗
Store the AWS access key and secret key in a configuration file.
Why it's wrong here
Storing long-term credentials on the instance is insecure and should be avoided. They do not rotate automatically.
- ✓
Use an IAM role and attach it to the EC2 instance profile.
Why this is correct
This provides temporary credentials that are automatically rotated, following the principle of least privilege and security best practices.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use an IAM user and store credentials in AWS Secrets Manager.
Why it's wrong here
While Secrets Manager securely stores secrets, the application would still need to retrieve them, and the credentials are long-term. An IAM role is simpler and more secure for EC2.
- ✗
Use the DynamoDB table's resource-based policy to allow the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
DynamoDB does not support resource-based policies; access is managed through IAM policies attached to IAM users, groups, or roles.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think resource-based policies (Option D) can grant access to EC2 instances, but DynamoDB resource-based policies only support principals like AWS accounts, IAM users, or IAM roles—not EC2 instances directly—and the correct mechanism for EC2 is always an IAM role attached to the instance profile.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When an IAM role is attached to an EC2 instance profile, the instance retrieves temporary credentials from the instance metadata service (IMDS) at http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/role-name. These credentials are automatically rotated by AWS STS and have a configurable duration (default 1 hour, max 6 hours). The AWS SDKs and CLI automatically handle credential refresh by polling the IMDS, so developers do not need to manage credential rotation manually.
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 DVA-C02 question test?
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: Use an IAM role and attach it to the EC2 instance profile. — Option B is correct because attaching an IAM role to an EC2 instance profile allows the instance to obtain temporary security credentials from the AWS Security Token Service (STS) via the instance metadata service. This eliminates the need to store long-term credentials on the instance, adhering to the principle of least privilege and improving security posture.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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