ICA Securing Workloads Practice Question
Which THREE actions occur when 'mode: STRICT' is set in a PeerAuthentication policy?
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
✓
The client proxy initiates mTLS handshakes.
STRICT mode forces mTLS, causes the proxy to reject plain text, and mandates that both client and server sidecars perform the handshake.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
All non-Istio traffic is automatically routed to the gateway.
Why it's wrong here
Traffic is simply dropped if it doesn't match the TLS handshake.
- ✓
The client proxy initiates mTLS handshakes.
Why this is correct
The client must adapt to the server's requirement.
- ✓
The sidecar proxy verifies the peer's identity via certificate.
Why this is correct
This is the essence of mTLS.
- ✗
The proxy automatically upgrades HTTP to HTTPS.
Why it's wrong here
mTLS is layer 4; it does not change layer 7 protocol.
- ✓
The server proxy rejects all non-mTLS traffic.
Why this is correct
STRICT mandates mTLS.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official CNCF / Linux Foundation exam blueprint
This ICA practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF / Linux Foundation 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 ICA exam.