- A
Create an Amazon EventBridge rule that triggers a Lambda function to rotate the secret
Why wrong: Wrong: Secrets Manager already manages rotation scheduling.
- B
Use AWS CLI to schedule a cron job that runs every 30 days and rotates the secret
Why wrong: Wrong: Manual rotation is not minimal overhead.
- C
Use Amazon CloudWatch Events to invoke an AWS Lambda function that updates the secret
Why wrong: Wrong: This duplicates built-in functionality.
- D
Enable automatic rotation in Secrets Manager and configure the rotation interval to 30 days
Correct: Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation with a configurable interval.
Question 30 of 1,748
AWS Secrets Manager Automatic Rotation
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of data protection. 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 uses AWS Secrets Manager to store database credentials. The security team needs to ensure that secrets are automatically rotated every 30 days. The rotation function must be implemented with minimal operational overhead. Which approach should be used?
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
✓
Enable automatic rotation in Secrets Manager and configure the rotation interval to 30 days
Option D is correct because AWS Secrets Manager provides built-in automatic rotation for supported secrets, allowing you to configure the rotation interval directly in the secret's settings. This approach requires no custom infrastructure, minimizing operational overhead. Option A is incorrect because creating an EventBridge rule and a custom Lambda function adds unnecessary complexity when Secrets Manager can handle the scheduling automatically. Option B is incorrect because using a cron job with the AWS CLI is manual, error-prone, and not scalable for automated rotation. Option C is incorrect because it essentially duplicates Option A's approach (CloudWatch Events is the same as EventBridge) and is not the most streamlined method.
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.
- ✗
Create an Amazon EventBridge rule that triggers a Lambda function to rotate the secret
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Secrets Manager already manages rotation scheduling.
- ✗
Use AWS CLI to schedule a cron job that runs every 30 days and rotates the secret
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: Manual rotation is not minimal overhead.
- ✗
Use Amazon CloudWatch Events to invoke an AWS Lambda function that updates the secret
Why it's wrong here
Wrong: This duplicates built-in functionality.
- ✓
Enable automatic rotation in Secrets Manager and configure the rotation interval to 30 days
Why this is correct
Correct: Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation with a configurable interval.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SCS-C02 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.
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Data Protection — study guide chapter
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Data Protection practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Data Protection — This question tests Data Protection — 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 Secrets Manager and configure the rotation interval to 30 days — Option D is correct because AWS Secrets Manager provides built-in automatic rotation for supported secrets, allowing you to configure the rotation interval directly in the secret's settings. This approach requires no custom infrastructure, minimizing operational overhead. Option A is incorrect because creating an EventBridge rule and a custom Lambda function adds unnecessary complexity when Secrets Manager can handle the scheduling automatically. Option B is incorrect because using a cron job with the AWS CLI is manual, error-prone, and not scalable for automated rotation. Option C is incorrect because it essentially duplicates Option A's approach (CloudWatch Events is the same as EventBridge) and is not the most streamlined method.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which SCS-C02 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 →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SCS-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 uses AWS Secrets Manager to store database credentials. They need to rotate the secrets automatically every 30 days. Which rotation strategy should they use?
easy- A.Use AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store to rotate the secret.
- B.Manually update the secret every 30 days.
- ✓ C.Enable automatic rotation in Secrets Manager and specify a Lambda rotation function.
- D.Use an AWS Config rule to trigger rotation.
Why C: Option C is correct because AWS Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation of secrets, and you must specify an AWS Lambda function to perform the rotation logic (e.g., updating the database password and storing the new secret). This ensures the secret is rotated on a schedule (every 30 days) without manual intervention, meeting the requirement for automated rotation.
Variation 2. A company needs to securely store database credentials that are used by an application running on Amazon EC2. The credentials must be automatically rotated every 90 days. Which AWS service should be used?
easy- A.AWS KMS
- ✓ B.AWS Secrets Manager
- C.AWS IAM roles for EC2
- D.AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Why B: The correct answer is AWS Secrets Manager (Option B). Secrets Manager is designed to securely store secrets like database credentials and provides built-in automatic rotation every 90 days. AWS KMS (Option A) is a key management service, not a secret store. IAM roles for EC2 (Option C) cannot store database credentials; they provide temporary credentials for AWS API calls. AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store (Option D) can store secrets but does not natively support automatic rotation without custom logic using Lambda.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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