The correct choice is to enable automatic rotation in the secret configuration and provide a Lambda rotation function. This works because AWS Secrets Manager uses a custom AWS Lambda function to handle the rotation logic, allowing you to specify a 30-day interval in the secret’s rotation schedule. On the AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty ANS-C01 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how to automate credential lifecycle management in a secure, serverless manner—a common scenario when integrating database access with network architectures. A frequent trap is confusing Secrets Manager’s built-in rotation with Systems Manager Parameter Store, which lacks native rotation capabilities. Remember the mnemonic: “Secrets need Lambda legs to turn every 30 days.”
ANS-C01 Network Security, Compliance and Governance Practice Question
This ANS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of network security, compliance and governance. 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. They want to ensure that the credentials are automatically rotated every 30 days. Which configuration is required?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable automatic rotation in the secret configuration and provide a Lambda rotation function.
Option A is correct because Secrets Manager can automatically rotate secrets with a Lambda function. Option B is wrong because Systems Manager Parameter Store does not have built-in rotation. Option C is wrong because IAM Access Analyzer does not rotate credentials. Option D is wrong because CloudHSM is for hardware security modules, not automated rotation.
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.
✓
Enable automatic rotation in the secret configuration and provide a Lambda rotation function.
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager supports automatic rotation using Lambda functions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Store the secret in AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store and configure a rotation schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Parameter Store does not have a built-in rotation feature.
✗
Store the secret in AWS CloudHSM and use a scheduled Lambda to rotate.
Why it's wrong here
CloudHSM is a hardware security module, not a secret store with rotation.
✗
Use IAM Access Analyzer to rotate the credentials periodically.
Why it's wrong here
IAM Access Analyzer analyzes resource policies, it does not rotate secrets.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 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.
Identify which ANS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Network Security, Compliance and Governance — This question tests Network Security, Compliance and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable automatic rotation in the secret configuration and provide a Lambda rotation function. — Option A is correct because Secrets Manager can automatically rotate secrets with a Lambda function. Option B is wrong because Systems Manager Parameter Store does not have built-in rotation. Option C is wrong because IAM Access Analyzer does not rotate credentials. Option D is wrong because CloudHSM is for hardware security modules, not automated rotation.
What should I do if I get this ANS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which ANS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 →
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 securely store and manage secrets such as database passwords and API keys. They need to automatically rotate secrets every 30 days and ensure that only specific IAM roles can access them. Which AWS service should they use?
easy
A.AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
B.AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
✓ C.AWS Secrets Manager
D.AWS CloudHSM
Why C: AWS Secrets Manager is the correct choice because it is purpose-built for securely storing, managing, and automatically rotating secrets such as database passwords and API keys. It supports native rotation with AWS Lambda, enforces fine-grained access control via IAM roles, and can rotate secrets on a schedule (e.g., every 30 days) without custom scripting.
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This ANS-C01 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 ANS-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
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