← SOA-C02·Amazon Web Services

Question 558 of 1,546

Security and Compliance →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct answer is to enable automatic rotation in the Secrets Manager console and specify a rotation interval of 30 days using a Lambda rotation function. This works because AWS Secrets Manager natively integrates with AWS Lambda to handle the rotation logic—when you set a 30-day interval, Secrets Manager automatically triggers the Lambda function on that schedule to update the credentials, ensuring compliance without manual effort. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to enforce a security policy using managed services, often appearing as a distractor where candidates might incorrectly choose manual rotation or a different service like Systems Manager. A common trap is assuming you must build a custom scheduler with CloudWatch Events, but Secrets Manager’s built-in rotation handles the timing for you. Memory tip: think “30-day rotation = Lambda + Secrets Manager console toggle” to avoid overcomplicating the solution.

SOA-C02 Security and Compliance Practice Question

This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. 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 stores database credentials in AWS Secrets Manager. The security policy requires that the credentials be rotated automatically every 30 days. Which action should the SysOps administrator take to enforce this requirement?

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
Configure an AWS Lambda function to rotate the secret and set a CloudWatch Events rule to trigger it every 30 days.
Why wrong: While possible, this approach bypasses Secrets Manager's native rotation feature and requires additional custom code. The built-in rotation is simpler and more maintainable.
B
Enable automatic rotation in the Secrets Manager console and specify a rotation interval of 30 days using a Lambda rotation function.
Correct. Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation with a configurable interval. You attach a Lambda function to perform the rotation, and the service handles scheduling.
C
Use AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store to store the credentials and configure a State Manager association for rotation.
Why wrong: Parameter Store does not offer built-in rotation. You would need to implement custom automation, and it lacks the integration with secrets that Secrets Manager provides.
D
Create an IAM policy that forces users to rotate the secret manually every 30 days.
Why wrong: Manual rotation is error-prone and cannot be enforced automatically. It does not meet the requirement for automatic rotation.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 the Secrets Manager console and specify a rotation interval of 30 days using a Lambda rotation function.

Option B is correct because AWS Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation using a Lambda function. By enabling automatic rotation in the console and specifying a 30-day interval, the administrator meets the security policy without manual intervention. Secrets Manager handles the rotation schedule and invokes the Lambda function automatically.

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.

✗
Configure an AWS Lambda function to rotate the secret and set a CloudWatch Events rule to trigger it every 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, this approach bypasses Secrets Manager's native rotation feature and requires additional custom code. The built-in rotation is simpler and more maintainable.
✓
Enable automatic rotation in the Secrets Manager console and specify a rotation interval of 30 days using a Lambda rotation function.
Why this is correct
Correct. Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation with a configurable interval. You attach a Lambda function to perform the rotation, and the service handles scheduling.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store to store the credentials and configure a State Manager association for rotation.
Why it's wrong here
Parameter Store does not offer built-in rotation. You would need to implement custom automation, and it lacks the integration with secrets that Secrets Manager provides.
✗
Create an IAM policy that forces users to rotate the secret manually every 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Manual rotation is error-prone and cannot be enforced automatically. It does not meet the requirement for automatic rotation.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates may think any automated scheduling (like CloudWatch Events) is sufficient, but AWS Secrets Manager's native rotation feature is the correct and simplest way to enforce automatic rotation without custom infrastructure.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Secrets Manager's automatic rotation uses a Lambda function that follows a specific rotation strategy (e.g., alternating between two versions of the secret to ensure availability). The rotation interval is defined in days and can be set between 1 and 365 days. Under the hood, Secrets Manager creates a CloudWatch Events rule to trigger the Lambda function on the specified schedule, but this is abstracted from the user for simplicity.

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 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 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 SOA-C02 question test?

Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — 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 Secrets Manager console and specify a rotation interval of 30 days using a Lambda rotation function. — Option B is correct because AWS Secrets Manager natively supports automatic rotation using a Lambda function. By enabling automatic rotation in the console and specifying a 30-day interval, the administrator meets the security policy without manual intervention. Secrets Manager handles the rotation schedule and invokes the Lambda function automatically.

What should I do if I get this SOA-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.

About these practice questions

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on SOA-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 wants to securely store secrets such as database credentials and API keys used by applications running on Amazon EC2. Which AWS service should be used to manage and rotate these secrets automatically?

easy

A.AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)
✓ B.AWS Secrets Manager
C.AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
D.AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store

Why B: Option B is correct because AWS Secrets Manager is designed to manage secrets, including automatic rotation. Option A is wrong because AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store can store secrets but does not support automatic rotation natively (requires custom Lambda). Option C is wrong because AWS KMS is for encryption keys, not secrets management. Option D is wrong because IAM stores credentials for AWS users, not application secrets.

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