- A
Deploy a TLS termination gateway (e.g., NGINX ingress) with certificate management.
Terminates external TLS and can re-encrypt internally; manages certificates for external-facing services.
- B
Use Kubernetes Secrets mounted as volumes with integration to an external vault.
Kubernetes Secrets store sensitive data; integrating with an external vault ensures secure access and rotation.
- C
Apply Kubernetes network policies to restrict pod-to-pod communication.
Why wrong: Network policies control traffic flow but do not provide encryption or authentication.
- D
Implement a service mesh such as Istio to handle mTLS between pods.
Service mesh provides mutual TLS, authentication, and encryption between microservices.
- E
Configure RPM package signing for all container images.
Why wrong: RPM signing is for binary packages, not container images; container images use image signing (e.g., Notary).
Quick Answer
The answer is a service mesh like Istio for mTLS, a secrets management solution such as HashiCorp Vault, and a TLS termination gateway like NGINX Ingress. These three components directly address the requirements for Kubernetes service mesh mTLS secrets management by providing encrypted service-to-service communication, secure storage and rotation of sensitive data, and encrypted data in transit from external clients. On the CompTIA SecurityX CAS-004 exam, this scenario tests your ability to map security controls to specific architectural layers—internal pod communication, credential lifecycle, and edge encryption. A common trap is choosing a single tool like Kubernetes Secrets alone, which lacks rotation and encryption at rest, or assuming mTLS alone handles external traffic. Remember the mnemonic “SME” for Service mesh, Management of secrets, and Edge termination—each covers a distinct security boundary in a zero-trust microservices design.
CAS-004 Security Architecture Practice Question
This CAS-004 practice question tests your understanding of security architecture. 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.
A security architect is planning the migration of a legacy application to a containerized microservices architecture on Kubernetes. The architect must ensure that the architecture supports secrets management, service-to-service authentication, and encryption of data in transit between microservices. Which THREE components should the architect include in the design? (Choose three.)
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
Deploy a TLS termination gateway (e.g., NGINX ingress) with certificate management.
Option A is correct because a TLS termination gateway (e.g., NGINX ingress) with certificate management provides encryption of data in transit between external clients and the Kubernetes cluster, fulfilling the requirement for encryption of data in transit at the edge. It terminates TLS at the ingress point, allowing secure HTTPS connections and centralized certificate lifecycle management.
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.
- ✓
Deploy a TLS termination gateway (e.g., NGINX ingress) with certificate management.
Why this is correct
Terminates external TLS and can re-encrypt internally; manages certificates for external-facing services.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Use Kubernetes Secrets mounted as volumes with integration to an external vault.
Why this is correct
Kubernetes Secrets store sensitive data; integrating with an external vault ensures secure access and rotation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Apply Kubernetes network policies to restrict pod-to-pod communication.
Why it's wrong here
Network policies control traffic flow but do not provide encryption or authentication.
- ✓
Implement a service mesh such as Istio to handle mTLS between pods.
Why this is correct
Service mesh provides mutual TLS, authentication, and encryption between microservices.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure RPM package signing for all container images.
Why it's wrong here
RPM signing is for binary packages, not container images; container images use image signing (e.g., Notary).
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between network segmentation (network policies) and cryptographic controls (mTLS, TLS), leading candidates to mistakenly choose network policies as a solution for encryption or authentication.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a service mesh like Istio, mTLS is implemented by injecting sidecar proxies (Envoy) that handle TLS handshakes and certificate rotation automatically using the SPIFFE identity framework, ensuring mutual authentication and encryption at L4/L7 without application code changes. Kubernetes Secrets mounted as volumes with external vault integration (e.g., HashiCorp Vault) allows dynamic secrets, rotation, and audit logging, avoiding plaintext storage in etcd and enabling fine-grained access control via Vault policies.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CAS-004 question test?
Security Architecture — This question tests Security Architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy a TLS termination gateway (e.g., NGINX ingress) with certificate management. — Option A is correct because a TLS termination gateway (e.g., NGINX ingress) with certificate management provides encryption of data in transit between external clients and the Kubernetes cluster, fulfilling the requirement for encryption of data in transit at the edge. It terminates TLS at the ingress point, allowing secure HTTPS connections and centralized certificate lifecycle management.
What should I do if I get this CAS-004 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CAS-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CAS-004 exam.
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