mediumMultiple Choice
CKS Practice Question: You have a requirement to encrypt secrets at rest…
You have a requirement to encrypt secrets at rest in etcd. Which resource and apiVersion should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the exact resource name and API group, and the trap here is that candidates confuse `EncryptionConfiguration` with made-up names like `EtcdEncryption` or `SecretEncryption`, or incorrectly assume it belongs to the core `v1` API group instead of `apiserver.config.k8s.io`.
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
✓
EncryptionConfiguration with apiVersion apiserver.config.k8s.io/v1
The Kubernetes API server uses an `EncryptionConfiguration` resource with `apiVersion apiserver.config.k8s.io/v1` to define how secrets and other resources are encrypted at rest in etcd. This resource specifies providers (e.g., `aescbc`, `secretbox`) and keys, and is loaded via the `--encryption-provider-config` flag on the API server. The `v1` version is the stable, production-ready API version for this configuration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
EtcdEncryption with apiVersion apiserver.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
Why it's wrong here
No EtcdEncryption resource exists in Kubernetes; encryption at rest is declared in the EncryptionConfiguration file passed to kube-apiserver via --encryption-provider-config. The apiserver.config.k8s.io group is real, which makes the fabricated kind look credible, but no such API object is served.
- ✗
EncryptionConfig with apiVersion v1
Why it's wrong here
EncryptionConfig is not a served Kubernetes API resource; the correct artefact is the EncryptionConfiguration file supplied to kube-apiserver through --encryption-provider-config, listing providers such as aescbc. The v1 apiVersion is invalid for it, so this cannot be applied as a resource.
- ✗
SecretEncryption with apiVersion v1
Why it's wrong here
Kubernetes has no SecretEncryption resource; encryption is configured through the EncryptionConfiguration file referenced by the kube-apiserver's --encryption-provider-config flag. The name is invented, so the API server would reject it. It tempts candidates who assume a dedicated Secret-scoped object exists for at-rest encryption.
- ✓
EncryptionConfiguration with apiVersion apiserver.config.k8s.io/v1
Why this is correct
EncryptionConfiguration is the Kubernetes resource that defines encryption at rest for etcd, and apiserver.config.k8s.io/v1 is its correct apiVersion. This satisfies the requirement to encrypt secrets at rest by configuring the kube-apiserver's encryption provider, distinct from Secret or EncryptionKey resources.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
TLS Certificates and API Server Security
Key term
API Server Security
API Server Security refers to the practices, configurations, and controls that protect the Kubernetes API server from unauthorized access, data breaches, and malicious attacks.
Key term
etcd Encryption
etcd encryption is the process of protecting data stored in etcd, the key-value store used by Kubernetes, by encoding it so that unauthorized users cannot read it even if they gain access to the storage.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CKS practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF 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 CKS exam.