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350-701 Implementing a Zero Trust architecture Practice Question
A company is implementing a Zero Trust architecture. The security team needs to ensure that all traffic between workloads in a private cloud is encrypted and mutually authenticated. Which solution best meets these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between network-layer encryption (IPsec, MACsec) and application-layer mutual authentication (mTLS), leading candidates to choose IPsec because it is familiar for site-to-site VPNs, but they overlook that Zero Trust requires per-workload identity verification, not just encryption.
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
✓
Mutual TLS (mTLS) between workloads
Mutual TLS (mTLS) provides both encryption and mutual authentication by requiring each workload to present a valid X.509 certificate during the TLS handshake. This ensures that only verified workloads can communicate, and all traffic is encrypted at the application layer, making it the ideal choice for a Zero Trust architecture where every connection is authenticated and authorized regardless of network location.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
MACsec on the network interfaces
Why it's wrong here
MACsec encrypts Ethernet frames but does not provide mutual authentication between individual workloads.
- ✗
IPsec VPN between each pair of workloads
Why it's wrong here
IPsec VPNs are complex to manage in a cloud environment and are not designed for east-west traffic between many workloads.
- ✗
SSH tunnels between workloads
Why it's wrong here
SSH tunnels are not scalable and are typically used for administrative purposes, not for automated workload communication.
- ✓
Mutual TLS (mTLS) between workloads
Why this is correct
mTLS provides both encryption and mutual authentication, making it ideal for Zero Trust workload communication.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco 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 350-701 exam.