- A
Store secrets in AWS Secrets Manager and enable automatic rotation.
Why wrong: Option A is incorrect because simply enabling automatic rotation without configuring a Lambda function does not actually perform the rotation; AWS Secrets Manager requires a Lambda function to execute the rotation logic, and option D correctly includes this requirement.
- B
Store secrets in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with a secure string parameter encrypted using AWS KMS.
Why wrong: AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with a secure string parameter encrypted using AWS KMS does not natively support automatic rotation. It would require custom automation to rotate the secret, which does not satisfy the automatic rotation requirement.
- C
Store secrets in an encrypted S3 bucket and retrieve them in the task definition.
Why wrong: Storing secrets in an encrypted S3 bucket is not recommended for secrets management. It lacks built-in rotation and introduces complexity in access control and encryption key management. It does not meet the requirements for automatic rotation and secure secrets management.
- D
Store secrets in AWS Secrets Manager and use a Lambda function to rotate the secrets.
Correct. AWS Secrets Manager supports automatic rotation of secrets by integrating with a Lambda function. The Lambda function can be custom or AWS-managed (e.g., for RDS). Secrets Manager encrypts secrets at rest using AWS KMS and transmits them over TLS, meeting the encryption and rotation requirements.
Secrets Manager: Automatic Rotation with Lambda
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 company is deploying a containerized application on Amazon ECS with Fargate launch type. The application needs to store sensitive configuration data such as database passwords. The developer must ensure that the secrets are encrypted at rest and in transit, and that they are rotated automatically. Which solution should the developer use?
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
Store secrets in AWS Secrets Manager and use a Lambda function to rotate the secrets.
Option D is correct because AWS Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation of secrets via an integrated Lambda function, which satisfies the requirement for automated rotation without additional custom infrastructure. Secrets Manager also encrypts secrets at rest using AWS KMS and transmits them over TLS, meeting the encryption requirements for both at rest and in transit.
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 secrets in AWS Secrets Manager and enable automatic rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Option A is incorrect because simply enabling automatic rotation without configuring a Lambda function does not actually perform the rotation; AWS Secrets Manager requires a Lambda function to execute the rotation logic, and option D correctly includes this requirement.
- ✗
Store secrets in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with a secure string parameter encrypted using AWS KMS.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store with a secure string parameter encrypted using AWS KMS does not natively support automatic rotation. It would require custom automation to rotate the secret, which does not satisfy the automatic rotation requirement.
- ✗
Store secrets in an encrypted S3 bucket and retrieve them in the task definition.
Why it's wrong here
Storing secrets in an encrypted S3 bucket is not recommended for secrets management. It lacks built-in rotation and introduces complexity in access control and encryption key management. It does not meet the requirements for automatic rotation and secure secrets management.
- ✓
Store secrets in AWS Secrets Manager and use a Lambda function to rotate the secrets.
Why this is correct
Correct. AWS Secrets Manager supports automatic rotation of secrets by integrating with a Lambda function. The Lambda function can be custom or AWS-managed (e.g., for RDS). Secrets Manager encrypts secrets at rest using AWS KMS and transmits them over TLS, meeting the encryption and rotation requirements.
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 may assume Secrets Manager's built-in rotation works without a Lambda function, but in reality, you must configure a Lambda function (either custom or AWS-managed) to perform the actual rotation logic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS Secrets Manager uses a Lambda function that you provide or that is automatically generated for supported services (e.g., RDS) to rotate the secret. The rotation process creates a new version of the secret while keeping the previous version active to avoid downtime. Under the hood, Secrets Manager uses the AWS KMS key specified at creation to encrypt the secret value, and all API calls are made over HTTPS (TLS) to ensure encryption in transit.
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
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 |
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: Store secrets in AWS Secrets Manager and use a Lambda function to rotate the secrets. — Option D is correct because AWS Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation of secrets via an integrated Lambda function, which satisfies the requirement for automated rotation without additional custom infrastructure. Secrets Manager also encrypts secrets at rest using AWS KMS and transmits them over TLS, meeting the encryption requirements for both at rest and in transit.
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: 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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