Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Key Management Service (KMS). This is correct because Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL uses KMS to handle encryption at rest by managing the customer master keys (CMKs) that encrypt the data keys protecting the database storage layer. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how RDS encryption key management integrates with KMS, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must choose the service responsible for key lifecycle control rather than the encryption itself. A common trap is selecting AWS CloudHSM, but remember that RDS does not support CloudHSM for native encryption; KMS is the fully managed service that provides automatic key rotation and fine-grained access policies. Memory tip: think “RDS + KMS = seamless key management” — if the question asks about managing keys for RDS encryption, KMS is always the default answer.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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 protect data at rest for an Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL database. Which AWS service should be used to manage the encryption keys?
AWS CloudHSM
Why wrong: CloudHSM is for dedicated HSM, not default key management.
AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
KMS manages keys for RDS encryption.
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM)
Why wrong: ACM handles certificates, not encryption keys.
AWS Secrets Manager
Why wrong: Secrets Manager stores secrets, not encryption keys for RDS.
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 Key Management Service (KMS)
Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL integrates with AWS Key Management Service (KMS) to enable encryption at rest. When you enable encryption for an RDS DB instance, KMS manages the customer master keys (CMKs) that encrypt the data keys used by the storage layer. This is the standard, fully managed key management service for RDS encryption, supporting automatic key rotation and fine-grained access control.
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
Why it's wrong here
CloudHSM is for dedicated HSM, not default key management.
AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
Why this is correct
KMS manages keys for RDS encryption.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM)
Why it's wrong here
ACM handles certificates, not encryption keys.
AWS Secrets Manager
Why it's wrong here
Secrets Manager stores secrets, not encryption keys for RDS.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse AWS Secrets Manager (which manages secrets like passwords) with KMS (which manages encryption keys), leading them to select Secrets Manager for key management instead of the correct service for RDS encryption at rest.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, when you enable RDS encryption, KMS generates a data key encrypted by a CMK, which is then used by the RDS storage subsystem to perform AES-256 encryption. The CMK can be either AWS managed (aws/rds) or customer managed, allowing you to control access via key policies and IAM. A subtle behavior is that once encryption is enabled on an RDS instance, you cannot disable it; you must create a new unencrypted snapshot and restore it to remove encryption.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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Data Protection — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Key Management Service (KMS) — Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL integrates with AWS Key Management Service (KMS) to enable encryption at rest. When you enable encryption for an RDS DB instance, KMS manages the customer master keys (CMKs) that encrypt the data keys used by the storage layer. This is the standard, fully managed key management service for RDS encryption, supporting automatic key rotation and fine-grained access control.
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 SCS-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 SCS-C02 exam.
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