- A
Create an IAM user with access keys and store the keys in AWS Secrets Manager. Have the application retrieve the keys at runtime.
Why wrong: This approach uses long-term IAM user credentials, which violates the requirement to not use IAM users and to have automatically rotated credentials. While Secrets Manager can rotate IAM user keys, it still involves IAM users.
- B
Launch the EC2 instance with an instance profile that has an IAM role attached. The IAM role should have a policy granting access to the DynamoDB table. The application uses the AWS SDK to obtain temporary credentials from the instance metadata service.
This is the recommended approach. The IAM role provides temporary credentials that are automatically rotated by AWS. The AWS SDK obtains credentials from the EC2 instance metadata service (IMDS). No long-term credentials are stored on the instance.
- C
Use an AWS Lambda function to generate a pre-signed URL that allows access to DynamoDB, and have the EC2 instance use that URL.
Why wrong: Pre-signed URLs are not applicable to DynamoDB. They are used for S3 operations. Even for S3, this approach would require the Lambda function to have credentials, and the EC2 instance would not have direct access to DynamoDB.
- D
Generate a long-lived API token using AWS KMS and embed it in the application code.
Why wrong: Embedding credentials in code is a security risk and violates the requirement for automatically rotated credentials. KMS is for encryption, not for generating API tokens for IAM.
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 company is developing a web application that runs on Amazon EC2 instances. The application needs to access an Amazon DynamoDB table to store and retrieve data. The security team requires that no IAM users or roles should be used; instead, the application must use temporary credentials that are automatically rotated. Which approach should the developer use to securely grant access to DynamoDB?
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
Launch the EC2 instance with an instance profile that has an IAM role attached. The IAM role should have a policy granting access to the DynamoDB table. The application uses the AWS SDK to obtain temporary credentials from the instance metadata service.
Option B is correct because it uses an IAM role attached to the EC2 instance via an instance profile, which allows the AWS SDK to automatically retrieve temporary credentials from the EC2 instance metadata service (IMDS). These credentials are rotated automatically by AWS, satisfying the security team's requirement for no long-lived IAM users or roles and ensuring secure, temporary access to DynamoDB.
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 access keys and store the keys in AWS Secrets Manager. Have the application retrieve the keys at runtime.
Why it's wrong here
This approach uses long-term IAM user credentials, which violates the requirement to not use IAM users and to have automatically rotated credentials. While Secrets Manager can rotate IAM user keys, it still involves IAM users.
- ✓
Launch the EC2 instance with an instance profile that has an IAM role attached. The IAM role should have a policy granting access to the DynamoDB table. The application uses the AWS SDK to obtain temporary credentials from the instance metadata service.
Why this is correct
This is the recommended approach. The IAM role provides temporary credentials that are automatically rotated by AWS. The AWS SDK obtains credentials from the EC2 instance metadata service (IMDS). No long-term credentials are stored on the instance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use an AWS Lambda function to generate a pre-signed URL that allows access to DynamoDB, and have the EC2 instance use that URL.
Why it's wrong here
Pre-signed URLs are not applicable to DynamoDB. They are used for S3 operations. Even for S3, this approach would require the Lambda function to have credentials, and the EC2 instance would not have direct access to DynamoDB.
- ✗
Generate a long-lived API token using AWS KMS and embed it in the application code.
Why it's wrong here
Embedding credentials in code is a security risk and violates the requirement for automatically rotated credentials. KMS is for encryption, not for generating API tokens for IAM.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse pre-signed URLs (which only work for S3) with DynamoDB access, or assume that storing keys in Secrets Manager satisfies the 'temporary credentials' requirement when it still relies on long-lived IAM users.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The EC2 instance metadata service (IMDSv2) provides a token-based mechanism to retrieve temporary credentials from the instance's associated IAM role; the AWS SDK automatically handles this by calling http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/role-name. These credentials have a default expiration of 6 hours and are refreshed transparently by the SDK, ensuring zero-touch rotation. In real-world scenarios, this pattern is critical for applications that must avoid hardcoded secrets and comply with security policies requiring ephemeral access.
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: Launch the EC2 instance with an instance profile that has an IAM role attached. The IAM role should have a policy granting access to the DynamoDB table. The application uses the AWS SDK to obtain temporary credentials from the instance metadata service. — Option B is correct because it uses an IAM role attached to the EC2 instance via an instance profile, which allows the AWS SDK to automatically retrieve temporary credentials from the EC2 instance metadata service (IMDS). These credentials are rotated automatically by AWS, satisfying the security team's requirement for no long-lived IAM users or roles and ensuring secure, temporary access to DynamoDB.
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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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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