KCSA Kubernetes Security Fundamentals Practice Question
You want to enable encryption at rest for Kubernetes Secrets in your cluster using an external KMS (Key Management Service) provider. Which component on the control plane reads the EncryptionConfiguration file and handles this encryption?
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
✓
kube-apiserver
The kube-apiserver is responsible for interacting with etcd and applies the EncryptionConfiguration to encrypt secrets before writing them to etcd and decrypting them when read.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kube-controller-manager
Why it's wrong here
Controller manager runs background control loops and does not handle direct etcd secret encryption.
- ✓
kube-apiserver
Why this is correct
The API server handles encryption at rest and integrates with the EncryptionConfiguration resource and KMS plugins.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
Kubelet runs on worker nodes and manages local pod lifecycles.
- ✗
etcd daemon directly
Why it's wrong here
etcd itself provides storage, but the cryptographic transformation is performed by the API server.
About these practice questions
One of 320 original KCSA practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 KCSA 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 KCSA exam.