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.
You need to encrypt etcd data at rest using AES-CBC. Which encryption provider should you specify in the EncryptionConfiguration?
aesgcm
Why wrong: AES-GCM is not a supported provider in Kubernetes EncryptionConfiguration.
aescbc
aescbc is the supported provider for AES-CBC encryption at rest.
aes-256-cbc
Why wrong: The provider name is 'aescbc', not 'aes-256-cbc'.
secretbox
Why wrong: secretbox is used for XSalsa20-Poly1305 encryption, not AES-CBC.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
aescbc
Option B (aescbc) is correct because Kubernetes supports AES-CBC encryption via the 'aescbc' provider in the EncryptionConfiguration. This provider uses AES in Cipher Block Chaining mode with a 32-byte key for encryption at rest, as specified in the Kubernetes documentation for encrypting etcd data.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
aesgcm
Why it's wrong here
AES-GCM is not a supported provider in Kubernetes EncryptionConfiguration.
aescbc
Why this is correct
aescbc is the supported provider for AES-CBC encryption at rest.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
aes-256-cbc
Why it's wrong here
The provider name is 'aescbc', not 'aes-256-cbc'.
secretbox
Why it's wrong here
secretbox is used for XSalsa20-Poly1305 encryption, not AES-CBC.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse the Kubernetes provider name 'aescbc' with the generic algorithm name 'aes-256-cbc' or other encryption modes like 'aesgcm', but the exam expects exact knowledge of the Kubernetes-specific provider identifiers as defined in the official documentation.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the 'aescbc' provider in Kubernetes uses AES-CBC with PKCS#7 padding and requires a 32-byte key for AES-256. The EncryptionConfiguration resource defines a list of providers in order of preference, and etcd data is encrypted before being written to disk. A subtle behavior is that if the key is rotated, old data remains encrypted with the old key until it is rewritten, so proper key management and re-encryption strategies are critical in production.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Cluster Setup and Hardening — This question tests Cluster Setup and Hardening — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: aescbc — Option B (aescbc) is correct because Kubernetes supports AES-CBC encryption via the 'aescbc' provider in the EncryptionConfiguration. This provider uses AES in Cipher Block Chaining mode with a 32-byte key for encryption at rest, as specified in the Kubernetes documentation for encrypting etcd data.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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