This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud application security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 cloud application uses containers orchestrated by Kubernetes. The security team wants to enforce that containers cannot run as root and that file systems are read-only at runtime. Which Kubernetes security context configuration should be applied?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure a SecurityContext with runAsNonRoot: true and readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
Option D is correct because Kubernetes SecurityContext allows fine-grained control over container permissions at the pod or container level. Setting `runAsNonRoot: true` ensures the container cannot run as UID 0, and `readOnlyRootFilesystem: true` mounts the container's root filesystem as read-only, preventing unauthorized writes at runtime. This directly satisfies the security team's requirements without relying on external policies or image-level configurations.
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.
✗
Use a RuntimeClass that disables root capabilities
Why it's wrong here
RuntimeClass defines runtime configuration, not container-level user and filesystem settings.
✗
Set the container's user to a non-root user in the Dockerfile
Why it's wrong here
This can be overridden at runtime; enforcing at Kubernetes level is more reliable.
✗
Apply a PodSecurityPolicy that blocks privileged containers
Why it's wrong here
PodSecurityPolicy is deprecated and does not enforce read-only filesystem by default.
✓
Configure a SecurityContext with runAsNonRoot: true and readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
Why this is correct
Directly sets the required properties in the container specification.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse image-level defaults (like a non-root user in a Dockerfile) with runtime enforcement via SecurityContext, or they think PodSecurityPolicy (a deprecated feature) is the only way to enforce these restrictions, when in fact SecurityContext is the direct and correct mechanism.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, `runAsNonRoot: true` causes the kubelet to verify that the container's user (from the image or `runAsUser`) is not UID 0; if it is, the pod is rejected. `readOnlyRootFilesystem: true` sets the container's root filesystem to read-only via the container runtime (e.g., containerd), but the container can still write to volumes mounted with `emptyDir` or `hostPath`. A subtle behavior: if the image requires writing to `/tmp`, the container will fail unless a writable volume is mounted there, which is a common pitfall in real-world deployments.
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 SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Cloud Application Security — This question tests Cloud Application Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a SecurityContext with runAsNonRoot: true and readOnlyRootFilesystem: true — Option D is correct because Kubernetes SecurityContext allows fine-grained control over container permissions at the pod or container level. Setting `runAsNonRoot: true` ensures the container cannot run as UID 0, and `readOnlyRootFilesystem: true` mounts the container's root filesystem as read-only, preventing unauthorized writes at runtime. This directly satisfies the security team's requirements without relying on external policies or image-level configurations.
What should I do if I get this CCSP 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.
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Question Discussion
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