- A
Disable encryption at rest to improve performance.
Why wrong: Disabling encryption would reduce security.
- B
Enable encryption at rest for the RDS instance.
Encryption at rest protects data on disk.
- C
Launch the RDS instance in a private subnet.
Private subnet prevents direct internet access.
- D
Create a security group that allows inbound traffic on port 3306 from the EC2 instances' security group.
This restricts database access to specific EC2 instances.
- E
Associate the RDS instance with a public subnet for easier access.
Why wrong: Public subnet would expose the DB to the internet.
Question 105 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Infrastructure Security Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure security. 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 security engineer is tasked with securing an Amazon RDS for MySQL database. The database must be accessible only from a specific set of EC2 instances. Which THREE steps should the engineer take?
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 encryption at rest for the RDS instance.
Option B is correct because enabling encryption at rest for the RDS instance ensures that data stored on the underlying storage is encrypted using AWS Key Management Service (KMS). This is a security best practice for protecting sensitive data at rest, and it does not conflict with the requirement to restrict network access. Encryption at rest is independent of network access controls and is essential for compliance with many security frameworks.
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.
- ✗
Disable encryption at rest to improve performance.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling encryption would reduce security.
- ✓
Enable encryption at rest for the RDS instance.
Why this is correct
Encryption at rest protects data on disk.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Launch the RDS instance in a private subnet.
Why this is correct
Private subnet prevents direct internet access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Create a security group that allows inbound traffic on port 3306 from the EC2 instances' security group.
Why this is correct
This restricts database access to specific EC2 instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Associate the RDS instance with a public subnet for easier access.
Why it's wrong here
Public subnet would expose the DB to the internet.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may focus solely on network-level controls (security groups and subnets) and overlook encryption at rest as a required security step, or they may incorrectly believe that encryption at rest degrades performance significantly for MySQL workloads.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, RDS encryption at rest uses AES-256 encryption for the underlying EBS volumes, automated backups, read replicas, and snapshots. The encryption keys are managed by AWS KMS, and enabling encryption cannot be undone after the instance is created; it must be enabled at launch or via a snapshot restore. In a real-world scenario, if the database contains PII or financial data, encryption at rest is often mandated by regulations like PCI DSS or HIPAA, regardless of network access controls.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Infrastructure Security — This question tests Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable encryption at rest for the RDS instance. — Option B is correct because enabling encryption at rest for the RDS instance ensures that data stored on the underlying storage is encrypted using AWS Key Management Service (KMS). This is a security best practice for protecting sensitive data at rest, and it does not conflict with the requirement to restrict network access. Encryption at rest is independent of network access controls and is essential for compliance with many security frameworks.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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