CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
A DevOps team is implementing a secure container supply chain. Which THREE practices should they adopt to ensure image integrity and prevent tampering?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that 'latest' tag and 'public registry' sound convenient and are common defaults, so candidates may select them as valid practices when they actually undermine integrity and tamper prevention.
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
✓
Sign container images using Cosign
Option A is correct because Cosign (part of the Sigstore project) cryptographically signs container images, producing a signature that can later be verified to prove the image was built by a trusted identity and has not been altered. Option B is correct because admission controllers such as Kyverno (or OPA Gatekeeper, Connaisseur) enforce policy at the Kubernetes API server, rejecting any pod whose image lacks a valid Cosign signature, thereby blocking tampered or unsigned images from running. Option E is correct because in-toto attestations capture signed, verifiable metadata about the build process (e.g., SLSA provenance), letting the team prove how and from what source an image was produced, which is central to supply-chain integrity. Option C is not appropriate because the mutable 'latest' tag provides no immutability or version pinning, making it impossible to guarantee which image is deployed and undermining tamper detection. Option D is not appropriate because a public registry exposes images to unauthorized pulls and potential tampering, whereas a private, access-controlled registry with immutable tags is the secure choice.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Sign container images using Cosign
Why this is correct
Cosign signs container images with cryptographic keys, producing a signature stored alongside the image in the registry. This gives verifiable provenance, satisfying the supply-chain integrity requirement by letting downstream systems confirm the image was not tampered with after signing.
- ✓
Use admission controllers like Kyverno to verify signatures
Why this is correct
Kyverno admission controllers intercept pod creation and validate that incoming images carry a trusted Cosign signature before allowing deployment. This enforces integrity at runtime, satisfying the requirement to prevent unsigned or tampered images from ever running in the cluster.
- ✗
Use the 'latest' tag for base images
Why it's wrong here
The 'latest' tag is mutable, so a rebuilt base image silently changes the digest and breaks reproducibility. Floating tags suit rapid local prototyping where freshness matters more than traceability; pinned digest references are required to guarantee the exact tested layers are deployed.
- ✗
Store images in a public registry
Why it's wrong here
A public registry lets anyone pull and, with push credentials, overwrite tags, so image digests cannot be trusted. Registries are legitimately used to distribute open-source base images publicly; private registries with signed manifests are required when integrity and tamper prevention are the goal.
- ✓
Generate attestation using in-toto
Why this is correct
in-toto generates signed attestations recording each supply-chain step (build, test, scan) and the artefacts produced. This provides verifiable metadata proving how an image was built, satisfying the integrity requirement by enabling consumers to confirm no unauthorised step altered the artefact.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CCSP question is part of Courseiva's 934-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. 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 September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.