- A
Store the credentials in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store and retrieve them in User Data.
Why wrong: This still uses long-term credentials.
- B
Create an IAM role and attach it to the EC2 instance profile.
The SDK automatically retrieves temporary credentials from the instance metadata.
- C
Use an AWS Lambda function to generate temporary credentials and pass them to the instances.
Why wrong: This adds complexity and still requires secure delivery of credentials.
- D
Generate access keys for a dedicated IAM user and store them in a file on the AMI.
Why wrong: Long-term credentials are not recommended; rotating them is cumbersome.
Question 873 of 1,616
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.
An application running on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group needs to access an S3 bucket. The security team wants to avoid storing long-term AWS credentials on the instances. Which approach 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
✓
Create an IAM role and attach it to the EC2 instance profile.
Option B is correct because it uses an IAM role attached to an EC2 instance profile, which allows the EC2 instances to automatically obtain temporary security credentials from the AWS Security Token Service (STS). This approach eliminates the need to store long-term credentials on the instances, as the credentials are rotated automatically and are retrieved via the instance metadata service (IMDS).
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.
- ✗
Store the credentials in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store and retrieve them in User Data.
Why it's wrong here
This still uses long-term credentials.
- ✓
Create an IAM role and attach it to the EC2 instance profile.
Why this is correct
The SDK automatically retrieves temporary credentials from the instance metadata.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use an AWS Lambda function to generate temporary credentials and pass them to the instances.
Why it's wrong here
This adds complexity and still requires secure delivery of credentials.
- ✗
Generate access keys for a dedicated IAM user and store them in a file on the AMI.
Why it's wrong here
Long-term credentials are not recommended; rotating them is cumbersome.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think storing credentials in Parameter Store or using Lambda to generate temporary credentials is more secure, but they overlook that an IAM role with an instance profile is the simplest and most secure method because it eliminates the need to handle credentials at all.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, when an IAM role is attached to an EC2 instance profile, the instance retrieves temporary credentials from the instance metadata service (IMDS) at http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/. These credentials are automatically rotated by AWS STS every few hours, and the AWS SDKs handle the refresh transparently. A real-world scenario where this matters is in a production Auto Scaling group where instances are frequently launched and terminated; using an IAM role ensures that each new instance automatically has the correct permissions without manual intervention or credential rotation.
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.
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 |
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 — study guide chapter
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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: Create an IAM role and attach it to the EC2 instance profile. — Option B is correct because it uses an IAM role attached to an EC2 instance profile, which allows the EC2 instances to automatically obtain temporary security credentials from the AWS Security Token Service (STS). This approach eliminates the need to store long-term credentials on the instances, as the credentials are rotated automatically and are retrieved via the instance metadata service (IMDS).
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 24, 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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