SDSI Application Security Design Practice Question
You are designing microsegmentation for a Kubernetes cluster using Cisco Tetration (Secure Workload). You need to ensure that only authorized pods can communicate with a specific backend database service. Which architectural component should be enforced to achieve zero-trust segmentation at the application layer?
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
✓
Deploy a service-level policy based on process and label identity via the Secure Workload agent.
Cisco Secure Workload (Tetration) uses software agents on hosts to enforce policies. For Kubernetes, the agent leverages service-level labels to create microsegmentation policies that are independent of IP addresses, ensuring that security follows the workload.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Deploy a service-level policy based on process and label identity via the Secure Workload agent.
Why this is correct
Secure Workload uses identity-based policies derived from application labels to control traffic flow.
- ✗
Configure static IP-based ACLs on the physical leaf switches.
Why it's wrong here
Static IP ACLs are not dynamic enough for container environments where IPs change frequently.
- ✗
Implement VRF-lite on the nodes to isolate the database traffic.
Why it's wrong here
VRF-lite provides network-layer segmentation, which is too coarse for microsegmentation within a cluster.
- ✗
null
Why it's wrong here
N/A
- ✗
Enable port-security on the virtual switch ports connecting the worker nodes.
Why it's wrong here
Port security operates at Layer 2 and does not provide visibility or control over application-level traffic.
About these practice questions
One of 298 original SDSI practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This SDSI 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 SDSI exam.