DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
A developer wants to securely store database credentials used by a Lambda function. The credentials should be automatically rotated every 90 days. Which service should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with Secrets Manager because both can store secrets, but Parameter Store lacks native automatic rotation, which is explicitly required by the 90-day rotation requirement in the question.
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 is the correct choice because it is purpose-built for securely storing, retrieving, and automatically rotating database credentials and other secrets. It supports native rotation with built-in integration for Amazon RDS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, MariaDB) and Amazon DocumentDB, allowing you to configure automatic rotation every 90 days without custom code. The service encrypts secrets at rest using AWS KMS and enforces fine-grained access control via IAM policies.
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 Secrets Manager
Why this is correct
AWS Secrets Manager stores credentials securely and natively supports automatic rotation through Lambda rotation functions, satisfying the 90-day rotation constraint. Unlike Parameter Store, which offers no built-in rotation, Secrets Manager schedules rotation and updates the secret, so the Lambda function retrieves current database credentials without manual intervention.
- ✗
AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
Why it's wrong here
KMS encrypts data and manages keys, but it neither stores credentials as retrievable secrets nor performs scheduled rotation of them. It is tempting because KMS underpins encryption for many services, and it would be the right choice when the requirement is envelope encryption of data at rest rather than credential lifecycle management.
- ✗
AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Why it's wrong here
IAM stores no database credentials and performs no rotation; it manages identities and permissions. It is tempting because IAM secures AWS access broadly, but automatic credential rotation for a database requires Secrets Manager, which integrates rotation via Lambda.
- ✗
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Why it's wrong here
Parameter Store holds plaintext or SecureString values but has no built-in rotation scheduler; Secrets Manager rotates credentials automatically via Lambda. It tempts because it stores configuration and secrets cheaply, and would be correct for non-rotating parameters or licence keys.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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.