This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An application receives webhooks from a partner. The developer must verify that each request was signed by the partner and not modified in transit. What should the application validate?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The HMAC or digital signature over the payload using the shared/public key material
Option C is correct because webhook verification relies on validating a cryptographic signature (HMAC or digital signature) computed over the request payload using a pre-shared secret or public key. This ensures the payload was signed by the partner and has not been tampered with during transit, as any modification would invalidate the signature. The application must recompute the HMAC or verify the digital signature using the partner's public key and compare it to the signature provided in the request header.
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.
✗
The source port number
Why it's wrong here
This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
✗
The CloudWatch log stream name
Why it's wrong here
This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
✓
The HMAC or digital signature over the payload using the shared/public key material
Why this is correct
Correct for the stated requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The API Gateway request ID only
Why it's wrong here
This does not meet the stated requirement as directly as the correct option.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse request metadata (like source port or request ID) with cryptographic verification mechanisms, assuming any unique identifier can prove authenticity, when only HMAC or digital signatures provide integrity and sender verification.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
HMAC-based verification uses a shared secret key to compute a hash over the payload (e.g., HMAC-SHA256), and the partner includes this HMAC in a header like X-Signature-256. The application recomputes the HMAC with the same secret and compares it; a mismatch indicates tampering or a wrong key. For digital signatures, the partner signs the payload with their private key, and the application verifies using the partner's public key, which also provides non-repudiation. Real-world implementations often include a timestamp in the signed payload to prevent replay attacks.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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: The HMAC or digital signature over the payload using the shared/public key material — Option C is correct because webhook verification relies on validating a cryptographic signature (HMAC or digital signature) computed over the request payload using a pre-shared secret or public key. This ensures the payload was signed by the partner and has not been tampered with during transit, as any modification would invalidate the signature. The application must recompute the HMAC or verify the digital signature using the partner's public key and compare it to the signature provided in the request header.
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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Question Discussion
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