200-901 Application Deployment and Security Practice Question
This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of application deployment and security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 DevOps team is securing a CI/CD pipeline that deploys containerized applications to Kubernetes. Which THREE practices enhance security?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implementing network policies to restrict pod communication.
Network policies in Kubernetes act as a firewall for pods, restricting ingress and egress traffic based on labels, namespaces, or IP blocks. This implements a zero-trust model by default, preventing lateral movement if a container is compromised. Option A is correct because it directly reduces the attack surface within the cluster.
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.
✓
Implementing network policies to restrict pod communication.
Why this is correct
Limits lateral movement in the cluster.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Allowing containers to run with privileges.
Why it's wrong here
Grants unnecessary permissions.
✓
Scanning container images for vulnerabilities before deployment.
Why this is correct
Identifies and mitigates known vulnerabilities.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Running containers as root.
Why it's wrong here
Increases risk of container breakout.
✓
Using Kubernetes Secrets for sensitive environment variables.
Why this is correct
Secures sensitive data like passwords.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that 'containers are inherently isolated'—candidates may think privileges or root access are safe because containers are 'lightweight VMs,' but in reality, they share the host kernel, making privilege escalation a critical risk.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Kubernetes network policies are implemented by CNI plugins (e.g., Calico, Cilium) that program iptables or eBPF rules at the node level. A common subtlety is that network policies are additive—if no policy selects a pod, all traffic is allowed by default; applying even a single policy with an empty `podSelector` drops all traffic. In a real-world scenario, a compromised web pod could exfiltrate data to a database pod unless a network policy restricts that path.
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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
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.
Application Deployment and Security — This question tests Application Deployment and Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implementing network policies to restrict pod communication. — Network policies in Kubernetes act as a firewall for pods, restricting ingress and egress traffic based on labels, namespaces, or IP blocks. This implements a zero-trust model by default, preventing lateral movement if a container is compromised. Option A is correct because it directly reduces the attack surface within the cluster.
What should I do if I get this 200-901 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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Question Discussion
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