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.
Which THREE of the following are recommended practices for securing Kubernetes Dashboard?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Disable anonymous access to Dashboard
Option A is correct because the Kubernetes Dashboard, by default, may allow unauthenticated access if not explicitly configured. Disabling anonymous access ensures that all requests to the Dashboard are authenticated, preventing unauthorized users from viewing or manipulating cluster resources. This is typically done by setting the `--enable-skip-login` flag to false or configuring the Dashboard deployment to require authentication tokens.
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.
✓
Disable anonymous access to Dashboard
Why this is correct
Correct. Anonymous access should be disabled.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Expose Dashboard via NodePort service on all nodes
Why it's wrong here
This exposes Dashboard broadly and is not recommended.
✓
Use RBAC to grant Dashboard service account only necessary permissions
Why this is correct
Correct. Least privilege should be applied.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Avoid exposing Dashboard over the public internet
Why this is correct
Correct. Dashboard should not be publicly accessible.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a ClusterRole with full cluster admin access for Dashboard
Why it's wrong here
This violates least privilege.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CNCF often tests the principle of least privilege by presenting options that seem convenient (like full admin access or NodePort exposure) but violate security best practices, and the trap here is that candidates may think exposing the Dashboard via NodePort is acceptable for internal access, ignoring that it bypasses authentication layers and network segmentation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Kubernetes Dashboard uses a service account to interact with the Kubernetes API server. Under the hood, RBAC bindings determine what actions this service account can perform. Granting full cluster-admin access (as in option E) would allow the Dashboard to delete any resource or access secrets across all namespaces, which is a common misconfiguration. In real-world scenarios, attackers often target exposed Dashboards with excessive privileges to escalate from a compromised pod to full cluster control. The recommended approach is to create a dedicated namespace, a service account, and a Role or ClusterRole with only the necessary verbs (e.g., get, list, watch) on specific resources.
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 CKS 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.
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: Disable anonymous access to Dashboard — Option A is correct because the Kubernetes Dashboard, by default, may allow unauthenticated access if not explicitly configured. Disabling anonymous access ensures that all requests to the Dashboard are authenticated, preventing unauthorized users from viewing or manipulating cluster resources. This is typically done by setting the `--enable-skip-login` flag to false or configuring the Dashboard deployment to require authentication tokens.
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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