- A
EC2 user data
Why wrong: User data is not encrypted and not secure for secrets.
- B
Amazon S3 with server-side encryption
Why wrong: S3 is a general-purpose storage, not a secret store.
- C
AWS CloudFormation template parameters
Why wrong: Not designed for runtime retrieval.
- D
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with SecureString
Provides encrypted storage for secrets and integration with EC2.
Question 1,597 of 1,616
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store — Secure Configuration Storage
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of development with aws services. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 wants to store application configuration securely and retrieve it programmatically from EC2 instances. The configuration includes database passwords and API keys. Which AWS service should be used?
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 Systems Manager Parameter Store with SecureString
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with SecureString is the correct choice because it is purpose-built for securely storing sensitive configuration data like database passwords and API keys. It integrates with AWS KMS for encryption at rest, supports versioning, and allows EC2 instances to retrieve values via the AWS CLI or SDK using IAM roles, eliminating the need to hardcode secrets.
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.
- ✗
EC2 user data
Why it's wrong here
User data is not encrypted and not secure for secrets.
- ✗
Amazon S3 with server-side encryption
Why it's wrong here
S3 is a general-purpose storage, not a secret store.
- ✗
AWS CloudFormation template parameters
Why it's wrong here
Not designed for runtime retrieval.
- ✓
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with SecureString
Why this is correct
Provides encrypted storage for secrets and integration with EC2.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse EC2 user data (which is easy to use but insecure) with a proper secrets management service, overlooking that Parameter Store provides encryption, access control, and audit logging essential for production security.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Parameter Store SecureString uses AWS KMS to encrypt the parameter value at rest, and the decryption happens transparently when the parameter is retrieved with the appropriate IAM permissions. Under the hood, the service stores the encrypted ciphertext in the Parameter Store database, and the AWS SDK calls the KMS Decrypt API to return the plaintext value. A real-world scenario is a microservices architecture where each EC2 instance retrieves its database credentials at boot time, avoiding hardcoded secrets in code or configuration files.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Development with AWS Services — This question tests Development with AWS Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with SecureString — AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with SecureString is the correct choice because it is purpose-built for securely storing sensitive configuration data like database passwords and API keys. It integrates with AWS KMS for encryption at rest, supports versioning, and allows EC2 instances to retrieve values via the AWS CLI or SDK using IAM roles, eliminating the need to hardcode secrets.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on DVA-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A developer needs to store application configuration data, such as database connection strings and API keys, for a microservices application running on Amazon ECS. The configuration must be encrypted at rest and easily auditable. Which AWS service should the developer use?
easy- A.AWS Secrets Manager.
- B.Amazon S3 with server-side encryption.
- ✓ C.AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store.
- D.Amazon DynamoDB with encryption at rest.
Why C: AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store is the correct choice because it is designed to store application configuration data like database connection strings and API keys, integrates natively with Amazon ECS for secure parameter retrieval, and supports encryption at rest using AWS KMS. It also provides built-in auditing through AWS CloudTrail, which logs all API calls to the Parameter Store, meeting the auditability requirement.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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