- A
Store the password in an encrypted Lambda environment variable using a customer-managed AWS KMS key
Lambda supports encrypting environment variables with a customer-managed KMS key, and the key can be rotated manually as needed.
- B
Store the password in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store as a SecureString parameter
Why wrong: Parameter Store with SecureString does encrypt the value, but it requires additional code to retrieve the parameter at runtime, adding minor overhead.
- C
Store the password in AWS Secrets Manager and configure automatic rotation
Why wrong: Secrets Manager can encrypt and rotate secrets automatically, but the requirement to rotate the key manually makes this more complex than needed.
- D
Store the password in an Amazon S3 configuration file encrypted with server-side encryption
Why wrong: This approach adds unnecessary complexity (reading from S3, managing file permissions) and does not directly use a customer-managed KMS key for the environment variable.
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 developer needs to store a database password for an AWS Lambda function. The password must be encrypted at rest with a customer-managed key that can be rotated manually. Which solution meets these requirements with minimal operational overhead?
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 the password in an encrypted Lambda environment variable using a customer-managed AWS KMS key
Option A is correct because storing the password in an encrypted Lambda environment variable using a customer-managed AWS KMS key meets the encryption-at-rest requirement with minimal operational overhead. Lambda natively integrates with KMS to encrypt environment variables at rest using a customer-managed key, and the key can be manually rotated via the AWS Management Console or API. This approach requires no additional services or infrastructure, keeping operational overhead low.
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 password in an encrypted Lambda environment variable using a customer-managed AWS KMS key
Why this is correct
Lambda supports encrypting environment variables with a customer-managed KMS key, and the key can be rotated manually as needed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Store the password in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store as a SecureString parameter
Why it's wrong here
Parameter Store with SecureString does encrypt the value, but it requires additional code to retrieve the parameter at runtime, adding minor overhead.
- ✗
Store the password in AWS Secrets Manager and configure automatic rotation
Why it's wrong here
Secrets Manager can encrypt and rotate secrets automatically, but the requirement to rotate the key manually makes this more complex than needed.
- ✗
Store the password in an Amazon S3 configuration file encrypted with server-side encryption
Why it's wrong here
This approach adds unnecessary complexity (reading from S3, managing file permissions) and does not directly use a customer-managed KMS key for the environment variable.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume AWS Secrets Manager is always the best choice for secrets, but the question explicitly requires minimal operational overhead and manual rotation, making the simpler Lambda environment variable with KMS the correct answer.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Lambda environment variables encrypted with a customer-managed KMS key are decrypted transparently by the Lambda service when the function is invoked, using the key specified in the function's configuration. The encryption occurs at rest in the Lambda service's storage, and the key can be rotated manually by creating a new key version in KMS, which does not require re-deploying the function. A real-world scenario where this matters is when compliance mandates customer-controlled key rotation but the application cannot tolerate the latency or cost of external secret stores.
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.
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: Store the password in an encrypted Lambda environment variable using a customer-managed AWS KMS key — Option A is correct because storing the password in an encrypted Lambda environment variable using a customer-managed AWS KMS key meets the encryption-at-rest requirement with minimal operational overhead. Lambda natively integrates with KMS to encrypt environment variables at rest using a customer-managed key, and the key can be manually rotated via the AWS Management Console or API. This approach requires no additional services or infrastructure, keeping operational overhead low.
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
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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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