DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
A developer needs to securely store database credentials for an application running on AWS Lambda. Which AWS service should they 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
✓
AWS Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager (option D) is correct because it is purpose-built to store, encrypt, and manage secrets such as database credentials, and it supports automatic rotation via Lambda functions and native integration with RDS, Redshift, and DocumentDB. For a Lambda application, the code can retrieve credentials at runtime using the AWS SDK (GetSecretValue) with IAM permissions, so credentials are never hard-coded. Option A, Session Manager, is for interactive shell access to EC2 instances, not secret storage. Option B, CloudHSM, provides dedicated hardware security modules for key operations but is not a credentials store. Option C, Parameter Store Standard tier, can hold SecureString values, but it lacks built-in secret rotation and is less suited for managing database credentials than Secrets Manager.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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AWS Systems Manager Session Manager
Why it's wrong here
Session Manager provides browser-based or CLI shell access to EC2 instances and other managed nodes without opening inbound SSH ports; it has no capability for storing, encrypting, or retrieving application secrets like database credentials, so it is unrelated to this requirement.
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AWS CloudHSM
Why it's wrong here
AWS CloudHSM provisions dedicated, single-tenant FIPS 140-2 validated hardware security modules for generating and managing cryptographic keys under customer control; it is a key-management infrastructure service, not a managed secrets store, and would require the developer to build custom secret-storage logic on top of it.
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AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store (Standard tier)
Why it's wrong here
Parameter Store's Standard tier can hold parameter values including SecureString-encrypted secrets, but it lacks the built-in automatic rotation feature that periodically regenerates database credentials and updates the source database, which is an important security capability the requirement implies is desirable.
- ✓
AWS Secrets Manager
Why this is correct
AWS Secrets Manager is purpose-built for storing sensitive credentials like database passwords, encrypting them at rest with KMS, and supports native automatic rotation integrations with RDS, Redshift, and DocumentDB so credentials can be rotated on a schedule without manual intervention or application downtime.
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
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.