← DOP-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 328 of 1,740

Security and Compliance →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is to use AWS Config with a custom Lambda function to automate IAM access key rotation. This is correct because AWS IAM lacks a native automatic rotation feature for access keys, so you must enforce compliance through a Config rule that evaluates key age and triggers a Lambda function to generate new keys and deactivate old ones every 90 days. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to combine AWS Config’s managed rules with custom remediation actions, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose IAM’s built-in rotation (which does not exist) or AWS Secrets Manager (which does not natively rotate IAM keys). A common memory tip is to remember that Config is the “compliance cop” that calls Lambda as the “key changer,” while CloudTrail only logs the event.

DOP-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question

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 wants to automate the rotation of IAM user access keys every 90 days. Which AWS service can be used to achieve this?

Question 1easymultiple choice

Full question →

A
Store the access keys in AWS Secrets Manager and enable automatic rotation.
Why wrong: Secrets Manager supports automatic rotation for RDS credentials and some other services, but not for IAM user access keys. You would need a custom rotation Lambda function.
B
Use AWS CloudTrail to detect old keys and send notifications to administrators.
Why wrong: CloudTrail logs API calls but does not take actions like rotating keys.
C
Use IAM's built-in access key rotation feature.
Why wrong: IAM does not have an automatic rotation feature for access keys; it only provides manual options to create, delete, or make keys inactive.
D
Use AWS Config with a custom Lambda function to rotate keys when they are older than 90 days.
AWS Config can evaluate IAM user keys and trigger a custom Lambda function to rotate them. This is a common pattern for key rotation.

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

✓

Use AWS Config with a custom Lambda function to rotate keys when they are older than 90 days.

AWS IAM does not have a built-in automatic rotation for access keys. However, AWS Config can be used with a custom Lambda function to rotate keys based on a rule. Alternatively, you could use AWS Secrets Manager to manage the keys, but it does not natively rotate IAM access keys. The most straightforward way is to use AWS Config with a custom rule that triggers a Lambda function to rotate keys. Option A is wrong because IAM does not have automatic rotation. Option B is wrong because Secrets Manager does not natively support IAM access key rotation. Option D is wrong because CloudTrail is for logging, not rotation.

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 access keys in AWS Secrets Manager and enable automatic rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Secrets Manager supports automatic rotation for RDS credentials and some other services, but not for IAM user access keys. You would need a custom rotation Lambda function.
✗
Use AWS CloudTrail to detect old keys and send notifications to administrators.
Why it's wrong here
CloudTrail logs API calls but does not take actions like rotating keys.
✗
Use IAM's built-in access key rotation feature.
Why it's wrong here
IAM does not have an automatic rotation feature for access keys; it only provides manual options to create, delete, or make keys inactive.
✓
Use AWS Config with a custom Lambda function to rotate keys when they are older than 90 days.
Why this is correct
AWS Config can evaluate IAM user keys and trigger a custom Lambda function to rotate them. This is a common pattern for key rotation.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

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.

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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.

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.

Related DOP-C02 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Configuration Management and IaC practice questions

Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Configuration Management and IaC.

Resilient Cloud Solutions practice questions

Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Resilient Cloud Solutions.

Monitoring and Logging practice questions

Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Monitoring and Logging.

Incident and Event Response practice questions

Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Incident and Event Response.

Security and Compliance practice questions

Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to Security and Compliance.

SDLC Automation practice questions

Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to SDLC Automation.

DOP-C02 fundamentals practice questions

Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 fundamentals.

DOP-C02 scenario practice questions

Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 scenario.

DOP-C02 troubleshooting practice questions

Practise DOP-C02 questions linked to DOP-C02 troubleshooting.

Practice this exam

Start a free DOP-C02 practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions 20 questions 30 questions 50 questions Timed 30

DOP-C02 practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

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: Use AWS Config with a custom Lambda function to rotate keys when they are older than 90 days. — AWS IAM does not have a built-in automatic rotation for access keys. However, AWS Config can be used with a custom Lambda function to rotate keys based on a rule. Alternatively, you could use AWS Secrets Manager to manage the keys, but it does not natively rotate IAM access keys. The most straightforward way is to use AWS Config with a custom rule that triggers a Lambda function to rotate keys. Option A is wrong because IAM does not have automatic rotation. Option B is wrong because Secrets Manager does not natively support IAM access key rotation. Option D is wrong because CloudTrail is for logging, not rotation.

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

What is the key concept behind this question?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

About these practice questions

Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on DOP-C02

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. A company wants to automate the rotation of IAM user access keys every 90 days. Which AWS service should be used to implement this rotation?

medium

A.AWS Lambda with custom rotation logic
B.AWS Config
✓ C.AWS Secrets Manager
D.AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store

Why C: AWS Secrets Manager allows automatic rotation of secrets, including IAM user access keys, with a customizable rotation period. Option B is correct because AWS Secrets Manager directly supports this use case. Option A (AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store) cannot rotate credentials. Option C (AWS Lambda) could be used but is not the primary service. Option D (AWS Config) is for compliance checking, not rotation.

Keep practising

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

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.