KCSA Kubernetes Cluster Component Security Practice Question
Which THREE of the following steps are part of proper Kubernetes control plane certificate management? (Choose THREE)
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
✓
Using a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) rather than self-signed certificates where possible.
Proper certificate management includes regular rotation, using a trusted internal or enterprise CA, and setting appropriate validity durations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Using a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) rather than self-signed certificates where possible.
Why this is correct
Trusted CAs integrate with enterprise PKI.
- ✓
Implementing regular certificate rotation before expiration.
Why this is correct
Rotating certificates prevents cluster outages caused by expired credentials.
- ✗
Disabling TLS verification for all internal cluster components.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling TLS verification leaves connections vulnerable to MITM attacks.
- ✓
Securing private keys with strict file permissions (e.g., 600) on control plane nodes.
Why this is correct
Strict file permissions prevent unauthorized local users from reading private keys.
- ✗
Storing all private keys in unencrypted public ConfigMaps.
Why it's wrong here
Storing private keys in ConfigMaps exposes them to anyone with read access.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every KCSA question from scratch — 319 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. 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 CNCF / Linux Foundation exam blueprint
This KCSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF / Linux Foundation 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 KCSA exam.