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.
Which THREE are best practices for securing a CI/CD pipeline?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use dynamic application security testing (DAST) tools
Dynamic application security testing (DAST) tools analyze a running application by simulating external attacks, which helps identify runtime vulnerabilities such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting. Integrating DAST into a CI/CD pipeline ensures that security checks are automated and performed before deployment, catching issues that static analysis might miss. This aligns with the DevSecOps principle of shifting security left without slowing down delivery.
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.
✓
Use dynamic application security testing (DAST) tools
Why this is correct
DAST tests running applications for security issues.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Allow manual approval for production deployments
Why this is correct
Manual approval ensures someone reviews changes before production deployment.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Store credentials in the source code repository
Why it's wrong here
Storing credentials in source code exposes them to all users.
✗
Run all pipeline steps as the same user
Why it's wrong here
Running as same user reduces isolation and increases risk of privilege escalation.
✓
Use static application security testing (SAST) tools
Why this is correct
SAST analyzes source code for vulnerabilities.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
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 distinction between DAST and SAST, where candidates may incorrectly think only one is needed, but the exam expects both as complementary practices for comprehensive security coverage.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DAST tools like OWASP ZAP or Burp Suite operate by sending crafted HTTP requests and analyzing responses for anomalies, often using a spider to crawl the application and an active scanner to test for vulnerabilities. In a CI/CD context, DAST can be configured to run against a staging environment with a known baseline, and results can be exported in SARIF format for integration with issue trackers. A subtle behavior is that DAST may generate false positives if the application uses non-standard input validation, requiring tuning of scan policies.
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 practitioner preparing for the 200-901 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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: Use dynamic application security testing (DAST) tools — Dynamic application security testing (DAST) tools analyze a running application by simulating external attacks, which helps identify runtime vulnerabilities such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting. Integrating DAST into a CI/CD pipeline ensures that security checks are automated and performed before deployment, catching issues that static analysis might miss. This aligns with the DevSecOps principle of shifting security left without slowing down delivery.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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