Question 613 of 724
DVA-C02 Security Practice Question
A company wants to store database credentials securely and rotate them automatically on a schedule. The credentials are used by an AWS Lambda function to access an Amazon RDS instance. Which AWS service should the developer use to meet these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store (which can store secrets but lacks native rotation) with Secrets Manager, leading them to choose Parameter Store for its lower cost, but the requirement for automatic rotation disqualifies it.
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 Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager is the correct choice because it is specifically designed to securely store, retrieve, and automatically rotate database credentials on a schedule. It natively supports automatic rotation for Amazon RDS databases (including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and MariaDB) by integrating with Lambda to update the credentials in both Secrets Manager and the RDS instance. This meets the requirement for both secure storage and scheduled rotation without custom infrastructure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
AWS Secrets Manager
Why this is correct
AWS Secrets Manager is specifically designed for securely storing and managing secrets such as database credentials, API keys, and other sensitive data. It offers robust capabilities for automatic rotation of credentials, particularly for services like Amazon RDS, Amazon Redshift, and Amazon DocumentDB, significantly enhancing security posture by reducing the lifespan of individual credentials. This built-in automation directly addresses the requirement for secure storage and regular rotation, minimizing the risk of compromise.
- ✗
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Why it's wrong here
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store provides secure, hierarchical storage for configuration data management and secrets. While it supports storing sensitive information as SecureString parameters, encrypted by AWS KMS, it lacks native, automatic rotation capabilities for database credentials. Users would need to implement custom Lambda functions or other external automation to achieve credential rotation, which is not a built-in feature like in Secrets Manager.
- ✗
AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
Why it's wrong here
AWS Key Management Service (KMS) is a service for creating and managing cryptographic keys, which are used to encrypt and decrypt data. While KMS is fundamental for encrypting secrets stored in services like Secrets Manager or Parameter Store, it does not directly store or manage the secrets themselves, nor does it provide any mechanism for automatic credential rotation. Its role is to protect the encryption keys, not the database credentials directly.
- ✗
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM)
Why it's wrong here
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) is a service focused on provisioning, managing, and deploying SSL/TLS certificates for use with AWS services like Elastic Load Balancing and Amazon CloudFront. Its primary function is to secure network communications by enabling HTTPS, not to store or rotate database credentials. ACM is entirely unrelated to the management of application-level secrets or their lifecycle.
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 |
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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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