This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 company requires that all secrets (e.g., database passwords) used by Lambda functions be rotated automatically every 30 days. Which combination of services should be used?
AWS CloudHSM and AWS Lambda
Why wrong: CloudHSM is for HSM, not secret management.
AWS Secrets Manager and AWS Lambda
Secrets Manager provides automatic rotation and Lambda can retrieve secrets.
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store and AWS Lambda
Why wrong: Parameter Store does not have built-in rotation.
AWS KMS and AWS Lambda
Why wrong: KMS manages encryption keys, not secret rotation.
Answer choices
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 and AWS Lambda
AWS Secrets Manager is the correct choice because it natively supports automatic secret rotation on a configurable schedule (e.g., every 30 days) using a Lambda function as the rotation handler. Secrets Manager directly integrates with Lambda to invoke the rotation logic, updating the secret value and propagating the change to the target database or service without custom infrastructure. CloudHSM, Parameter Store, and KMS do not provide built-in, scheduled rotation of secrets with automatic Lambda invocation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
AWS CloudHSM and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
CloudHSM is for HSM, not secret management.
AWS Secrets Manager and AWS Lambda
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager provides automatic rotation and Lambda can retrieve secrets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Parameter Store does not have built-in rotation.
AWS KMS and AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
KMS manages encryption keys, not secret rotation.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store (which can store secrets but lacks automatic rotation) with AWS Secrets Manager (which is purpose-built for rotation), or they assume KMS or CloudHSM can manage secrets directly when they only handle encryption keys.
Detailed technical explanation
Secrets Manager uses a Lambda function that implements a specific rotation strategy (e.g., 'single user' or 'alternating users') defined by a rotation schedule expressed in a cron-like rate expression (e.g., 'rate(30 days)'). During rotation, Secrets Manager invokes the Lambda function with a payload containing the secret ARN and a step (createSecret, setSecret, testSecret, finishSecret), ensuring atomic updates and rollback on failure. In contrast, Parameter Store requires custom code to track rotation intervals and update values, making it error-prone for compliance-driven rotation policies.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
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
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Secrets Manager and AWS Lambda — AWS Secrets Manager is the correct choice because it natively supports automatic secret rotation on a configurable schedule (e.g., every 30 days) using a Lambda function as the rotation handler. Secrets Manager directly integrates with Lambda to invoke the rotation logic, updating the secret value and propagating the change to the target database or service without custom infrastructure. CloudHSM, Parameter Store, and KMS do not provide built-in, scheduled rotation of secrets with automatic Lambda invocation.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This DOP-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 DOP-C02 exam.
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