CKS Monitoring Logging and Runtime Security Practice Question
This CKS practice question tests your understanding of monitoring logging and runtime security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 deploying a new microservice that processes sensitive payment data. The security policy requires that all file system writes outside the /tmp directory be logged and alerted. Which runtime security tool and configuration best achieves this requirement with minimal performance impact?
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
✓
Deploy Falco with a rule: 'evt.type=open and evt.dir=< and fd.name startswith / and not fd.name startswith /tmp'
Option C is correct because Falco is a runtime security tool that monitors system calls in real time. The provided rule specifically triggers an alert when a file is opened for writing (evt.dir=<) outside of /tmp, meeting the logging and alerting requirement with minimal performance impact since it only inspects syscalls without blocking them.
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 Seccomp profiles to block write syscalls outside /tmp
Why it's wrong here
Seccomp filters syscalls at the kernel level and cannot selectively block writes based on file path.
✗
Implement an OPA Gatekeeper constraint to reject pods that write outside /tmp
Why it's wrong here
OPA Gatekeeper validates pod specs at admission time, not runtime behavior.
✓
Deploy Falco with a rule: 'evt.type=open and evt.dir=< and fd.name startswith / and not fd.name startswith /tmp'
Why this is correct
Falco monitors system calls and can generate alerts for file writes outside /tmp with minimal overhead.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure AppArmor to deny writes outside /tmp
Why it's wrong here
AppArmor enforces policy but does not log violations by default without explicit audit rules.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CNCF often tests the distinction between runtime monitoring (Falco) and enforcement tools (Seccomp, AppArmor, OPA Gatekeeper), and the trap here is that candidates choose blocking tools (A or D) or admission control (B) instead of the tool that specifically logs and alerts at runtime with minimal performance impact.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Falco uses a kernel module or eBPF probe to hook system calls like open, openat, and write. The rule 'evt.type=open and evt.dir=< and fd.name startswith / and not fd.name startswith /tmp' captures open syscalls for writing (evt.dir=< means 'enter' or before the syscall) on any absolute path that does not start with /tmp, generating an alert without blocking the operation. In a real-world scenario, this allows the DevOps team to receive immediate alerts for unauthorized writes while the microservice continues to function, enabling incident response without service disruption.
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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CKS question in full detail.
Monitoring Logging and Runtime Security — This question tests Monitoring Logging and Runtime Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy Falco with a rule: 'evt.type=open and evt.dir=< and fd.name startswith / and not fd.name startswith /tmp' — Option C is correct because Falco is a runtime security tool that monitors system calls in real time. The provided rule specifically triggers an alert when a file is opened for writing (evt.dir=<) outside of /tmp, meeting the logging and alerting requirement with minimal performance impact since it only inspects syscalls without blocking them.
What should I do if I get this CKS 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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