Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Secrets Manager, as it is the only AWS service that natively supports both generating and automatically rotating IAM access keys on a scheduled basis. Secrets Manager accomplishes this by allowing you to define a rotation schedule—such as every 30 days—after which it automatically creates a new access key pair, updates the corresponding IAM user, and can optionally disable or delete the old key, all without requiring custom scripts or manual intervention. On the AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of centralized credential lifecycle management versus manual rotation methods; a common trap is confusing Secrets Manager with AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store, which lacks built-in rotation capabilities for IAM keys. To remember this, think of Secrets Manager as the “set-it-and-forget-it” solution for key rotation—it handles the entire rotation workflow automatically, while Parameter Store is simply a secure storage location.
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of management and security 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 wants to centrally manage access keys for IAM users. Which AWS service can generate and rotate access keys automatically?
AWS CloudHSM
Why wrong: CloudHSM is a hardware security module.
AWS KMS
Why wrong: KMS manages encryption keys, not access keys.
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Why wrong: Parameter Store can store secrets but does not rotate IAM access keys natively.
AWS Secrets Manager
Secrets Manager can rotate IAM access keys automatically.
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 Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager is the correct service because it natively supports automatic rotation of secrets, including IAM user access keys. You can configure a rotation schedule (e.g., every 30 days) and Secrets Manager will generate a new access key pair, update the IAM user, and optionally disable or delete the old key. This provides a fully managed, centralized solution for rotating access keys without custom scripting.
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 a hardware security module.
AWS KMS
Why it's wrong here
KMS manages encryption keys, not access keys.
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Why it's wrong here
Parameter Store can store secrets but does not rotate IAM access keys natively.
AWS Secrets Manager
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager can rotate IAM access keys automatically.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse AWS KMS (which handles encryption keys) with Secrets Manager (which handles secrets like passwords and access keys), or they assume Parameter Store can rotate secrets automatically, but only Secrets Manager provides built-in, configurable rotation for IAM access keys.
Detailed technical explanation
Secrets Manager uses a Lambda rotation function (provided by AWS or custom) to perform the rotation. For IAM user access keys, the rotation function calls the IAM API to create a new access key, updates the secret, and then optionally deactivates or deletes the old key. The rotation schedule is defined by a cron expression or rate, and Secrets Manager ensures that the secret is rotated without downtime by maintaining the old key until the new one is verified.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Management and Security Governance — This question tests Management and Security Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Secrets Manager — AWS Secrets Manager is the correct service because it natively supports automatic rotation of secrets, including IAM user access keys. You can configure a rotation schedule (e.g., every 30 days) and Secrets Manager will generate a new access key pair, update the IAM user, and optionally disable or delete the old key. This provides a fully managed, centralized solution for rotating access keys without custom scripting.
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 11, 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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