- A
Create an IAM user with programmatic access, store the access key and secret key in a configuration file on the EC2 instance.
Why wrong: Storing long-term credentials on the instance is a security risk. These credentials can be compromised if the instance is breached, and they require manual rotation.
- B
Store the DynamoDB credentials in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store as a SecureString, and retrieve them from the EC2 instance at runtime.
Why wrong: While Parameter Store can store secrets, the EC2 instance still needs credentials to access Parameter Store. This approach does not eliminate long-term credentials on the instance.
- C
Create an IAM role with the necessary DynamoDB permissions, and attach the role to the EC2 instance profile. The SDK will automatically retrieve temporary credentials from the instance metadata.
An IAM role provides temporary credentials that are automatically rotated. The EC2 instance retrieves them via the instance metadata service, eliminating the need for long-term credentials.
- D
Use a Lambda function to generate temporary credentials for the EC2 instance and pass them via user data at launch.
Why wrong: This is complex and insecure as the temporary credentials would still be stored on the instance. The instance metadata service already provides a simple and secure way to obtain temporary credentials.
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 developer launches an Amazon EC2 instance that needs to read and write data to an Amazon DynamoDB table. The developer must follow the principle of least privilege and ensure that no long-term credentials are stored on the instance. Which approach should the developer use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
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
Create an IAM role with the necessary DynamoDB permissions, and attach the role to the EC2 instance profile. The SDK will automatically retrieve temporary credentials from the instance metadata.
Option C is correct because it uses an IAM role attached to the EC2 instance profile, which allows the AWS SDK to automatically retrieve temporary credentials from the instance metadata service (IMDS). This follows the principle of least privilege by granting only the necessary DynamoDB permissions and eliminates the need to store any long-term credentials on the instance, as the credentials are rotated automatically by AWS STS.
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.
- ✗
Create an IAM user with programmatic access, store the access key and secret key in a configuration file on the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
Storing long-term credentials on the instance is a security risk. These credentials can be compromised if the instance is breached, and they require manual rotation.
- ✗
Store the DynamoDB credentials in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store as a SecureString, and retrieve them from the EC2 instance at runtime.
Why it's wrong here
While Parameter Store can store secrets, the EC2 instance still needs credentials to access Parameter Store. This approach does not eliminate long-term credentials on the instance.
- ✓
Create an IAM role with the necessary DynamoDB permissions, and attach the role to the EC2 instance profile. The SDK will automatically retrieve temporary credentials from the instance metadata.
Why this is correct
An IAM role provides temporary credentials that are automatically rotated. The EC2 instance retrieves them via the instance metadata service, eliminating the need for long-term credentials.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a Lambda function to generate temporary credentials for the EC2 instance and pass them via user data at launch.
Why it's wrong here
This is complex and insecure as the temporary credentials would still be stored on the instance. The instance metadata service already provides a simple and secure way to obtain temporary credentials.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose Option B (Parameter Store) thinking it securely stores credentials, but they overlook that the instance still needs an IAM role to access Parameter Store, and the retrieved credentials are static rather than automatically rotated temporary credentials, which fails the 'no long-term credentials' requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When an IAM role is attached to an EC2 instance profile, the AWS SDK calls the Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) at the link-local address 169.254.169.254 to obtain temporary security credentials (access key, secret key, and session token) from AWS STS. These credentials are automatically rotated before expiry (typically every 6 hours), and the SDK handles the refresh transparently, ensuring no long-term secrets are stored on disk. In real-world scenarios, this pattern is critical for applications that need to access DynamoDB or other AWS services from EC2 without managing 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: Create an IAM role with the necessary DynamoDB permissions, and attach the role to the EC2 instance profile. The SDK will automatically retrieve temporary credentials from the instance metadata. — Option C is correct because it uses an IAM role attached to the EC2 instance profile, which allows the AWS SDK to automatically retrieve temporary credentials from the instance metadata service (IMDS). This follows the principle of least privilege by granting only the necessary DynamoDB permissions and eliminates the need to store any long-term credentials on the instance, as the credentials are rotated automatically by AWS STS.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
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
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.
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