CV0-004 Security Practice Question
An organization needs to store database credentials and API keys securely in the cloud, with automatic rotation every 90 days. Which service should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
CV0-004 often tests the overlap between KMS, Parameter Store, and Secrets Manager, so candidates pick KMS for 'secure storage' and miss that only Secrets Manager provides native automatic rotation.
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
✓
AWS Secrets Manager
AWS Secrets Manager is purpose-built to store database credentials, API keys, and other secrets, and it natively supports automatic rotation on a schedule (for example, every 90 days) using Lambda rotation functions. That combination of secure storage plus managed rotation is exactly what the scenario requires. KMS and Parameter Store do not provide built-in secret rotation for database credentials.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
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 provides hardware security modules for key generation.
- ✗
AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
Why it's wrong here
KMS manages encryption keys, not secrets like passwords.
- ✗
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Why it's wrong here
Parameter Store can store secrets but does not natively rotate them.
- ✓
AWS Secrets Manager
Why this is correct
Secrets Manager stores secrets and supports automatic rotation.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This CV0-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CV0-004 exam.