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Question 148 of 1,740

Security and Compliance →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

DOP-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question

This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 using AWS Secrets Manager to store database credentials for a multi-tier application. The application runs on EC2 instances in an Auto Scaling group. The DevOps engineer has configured the instances to retrieve the secret at boot time using a script that calls the AWS CLI. Recently, the security team discovered that the secret was exposed in the instance's user data logs. The engineer needs to implement a more secure method to access the secret without storing it in user data. The application code can be modified. The environment uses IAM roles for EC2. Which solution best meets the security requirements?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
Store the secret in a configuration file on the EC2 instance and encrypt the file system.
Why wrong: The secret is still stored on disk and could be exposed if the instance is compromised.
B
Store the secret in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store and retrieve it via the AWS CLI at boot time.
Why wrong: This still requires a script that could be exposed; the CLI command would be in user data.
C
Modify the application code to use the AWS SDK to retrieve the secret from Secrets Manager using the instance's IAM role.
This retrieves the secret at runtime without storing it in user data or on disk.
D
Use a KMS key to encrypt the secret and store the encrypted value in user data.
Why wrong: The encrypted value is still in user data and could be decrypted if the key is accessible.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Modify the application code to use the AWS SDK to retrieve the secret from Secrets Manager using the instance's IAM role.

Option B is correct because using the AWS SDK with the IAM role attached to the EC2 instance retrieves the secret programmatically without storing it in user data. The IAM role should have permissions to access the secret. Option A is wrong because hardcoding still stores the secret in the code or configuration. Option C is wrong because the EC2 Systems Manager Parameter Store is another option but the question is about Secrets Manager, and storing the secret in Parameter Store still requires retrieval at runtime; the same pattern applies, but using the SDK with IAM role is the standard secure method. Option D is wrong because the KMS key is used for encryption, not for retrieving the secret; the secret is already encrypted.

Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.

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 secret in a configuration file on the EC2 instance and encrypt the file system.
Why it's wrong here
The secret is still stored on disk and could be exposed if the instance is compromised.
✗
Store the secret in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store and retrieve it via the AWS CLI at boot time.
Why it's wrong here
This still requires a script that could be exposed; the CLI command would be in user data.
✓
Modify the application code to use the AWS SDK to retrieve the secret from Secrets Manager using the instance's IAM role.
Why this is correct
This retrieves the secret at runtime without storing it in user data or on disk.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Use a KMS key to encrypt the secret and store the encrypted value in user data.
Why it's wrong here
The encrypted value is still in user data and could be decrypted if the key is accessible.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic

NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.

Trap categories for this question

Command / output trap
This still requires a script that could be exposed; the CLI command would be in user data.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.

TExam Day Tips

Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.

Key takeaway

NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.

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.

Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related DOP-C02 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this DOP-C02 question test?

Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Modify the application code to use the AWS SDK to retrieve the secret from Secrets Manager using the instance's IAM role. — Option B is correct because using the AWS SDK with the IAM role attached to the EC2 instance retrieves the secret programmatically without storing it in user data. The IAM role should have permissions to access the secret. Option A is wrong because hardcoding still stores the secret in the code or configuration. Option C is wrong because the EC2 Systems Manager Parameter Store is another option but the question is about Secrets Manager, and storing the secret in Parameter Store still requires retrieval at runtime; the same pattern applies, but using the SDK with IAM role is the standard secure method. Option D is wrong because the KMS key is used for encryption, not for retrieving the secret; the secret is already encrypted.

What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

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