This CKS practice question tests your understanding of cluster setup and hardening. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
You are securing a cluster and want to ensure that service account tokens are not automatically mounted in pods that do not need them. Which THREE actions should you take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set automountServiceAccountToken: false in the service account definition for service accounts that do not need tokens
Option B is correct because setting `automountServiceAccountToken: false` in the service account definition prevents the automatic mounting of the service account token into any pod that uses that service account. This is a declarative, scalable approach to disable token mounting for all pods associated with that service account, aligning with the principle of least privilege.
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.
✗
Set --service-account-lookup=false on the API server
Why it's wrong here
This flag is deprecated and not related to automatic mounting.
✓
Set automountServiceAccountToken: false in the service account definition for service accounts that do not need tokens
Why this is correct
Correct. This disables mounting for all pods using that service account.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Audit all service accounts to determine which ones need token mounting disabled
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Set automountServiceAccountToken: false in the pod spec for each pod that does not need the token
Why this is correct
Correct. This disables mounting for that pod.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Delete all service accounts except those used by system components
Why it's wrong here
Deleting service accounts may break workloads.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `automountServiceAccountToken: false` with deleting service accounts or disabling token validation, when the correct approach is to disable mounting at the service account or pod level, not to remove accounts or alter API server flags.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Service account tokens are projected as volumes into pods via the `ServiceAccountTokenVolumeProjection` feature, which is enabled by default. Setting `automountServiceAccountToken: false` at the service account level overrides the default behavior for all pods using that service account, but can be overridden by a pod-level setting. In a real-world scenario, auditing service accounts (Option C) is a prerequisite to identify which accounts need this setting, making it a necessary step in the hardening process.
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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
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: Set automountServiceAccountToken: false in the service account definition for service accounts that do not need tokens — Option B is correct because setting `automountServiceAccountToken: false` in the service account definition prevents the automatic mounting of the service account token into any pod that uses that service account. This is a declarative, scalable approach to disable token mounting for all pods associated with that service account, aligning with the principle of least privilege.
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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