This CKS practice question tests your understanding of cluster setup and hardening. 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.
An administrator wants to enable encryption at rest for secrets in a Kubernetes cluster. They create the following EncryptionConfiguration and place it at /etc/kubernetes/enc/enc.yaml. Which flag must be added to the kube-apiserver to use this configuration?
Option D is correct because the kube-apiserver requires the `--encryption-provider-config` flag to specify the path to the EncryptionConfiguration YAML file. This flag tells the API server which encryption providers (e.g., `aescbc`, `secretbox`) to use for encrypting secrets at rest in etcd. Without this flag, the EncryptionConfiguration file is ignored and secrets remain unencrypted.
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.
✗
--feature-gates=EncryptionAtRest=true
Why it's wrong here
Encryption at rest is stable and does not require a feature gate; the encryption-provider-config flag is used.
✗
--enable-encryption
Why it's wrong here
There is no such flag; the correct flag is --encryption-provider-config.
✗
--encryption-config=/etc/kubernetes/enc/enc.yaml
Why it's wrong here
The flag name is --encryption-provider-config, not --encryption-config.
This is the correct flag to enable encryption at rest.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the flag name `--encryption-provider-config` with the similar-sounding but incorrect `--encryption-config`, or assume a feature gate or generic enable flag is sufficient without providing the configuration file path.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The EncryptionConfiguration file defines a list of providers (e.g., `identity`, `aescbc`, `kms`) and their order of precedence. The first provider in the list is used for encryption, while all listed providers are tried for decryption, enabling key rotation without downtime. Under the hood, the API server intercepts write operations to etcd and encrypts the data using the specified provider before storage, and decrypts on read.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CKS question in full detail.
Cluster Setup and Hardening — This question tests Cluster Setup and Hardening — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: --encryption-provider-config=/etc/kubernetes/enc/enc.yaml — Option D is correct because the kube-apiserver requires the `--encryption-provider-config` flag to specify the path to the EncryptionConfiguration YAML file. This flag tells the API server which encryption providers (e.g., `aescbc`, `secretbox`) to use for encrypting secrets at rest in etcd. Without this flag, the EncryptionConfiguration file is ignored and secrets remain unencrypted.
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.
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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