200-901 Infrastructure and Automation Practice Question
A DevOps team uses a CI/CD pipeline to deploy network configurations. They want to ensure that only authorized network engineers can trigger changes to production devices. Which integration is most appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse technical controls (like encryption or syntax validation) with authorization controls, assuming that protecting secrets or validating code is equivalent to restricting who can trigger a deployment.
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
✓
Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) on the CI/CD tool
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) on the CI/CD tool directly restricts which users or groups can trigger pipeline jobs that modify production network devices. This ensures that only authorized network engineers have the permissions to execute changes, aligning with the principle of least privilege in deployment pipelines.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Encrypt the Ansible vault password
Why it's wrong here
This secures secrets but does not control who runs the pipeline.
- ✓
Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) on the CI/CD tool
Why this is correct
RBAC enforces authorization for pipeline executions.
- ✗
Use a separate staging environment
Why it's wrong here
This is a deployment strategy, not access control.
- ✗
Use a pre-commit hook in Git to validate YAML syntax
Why it's wrong here
This validates syntax, not authorization.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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