The answer is to use network policies to control pod-to-pod communication. This is a core AKS security best practice because, by default, all pods in a Kubernetes cluster can communicate with each other, creating a flat network that is vulnerable to lateral movement by an attacker. Network policies act as a software-defined firewall at the IP address or port level, allowing you to segment traffic based on namespaces, labels, or selectors, which enforces a zero-trust model within the cluster. On the SC-100 Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this concept tests your ability to design secure microservices architectures, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must choose between network segmentation, Azure Policy for AKS, or managed identity controls. A common trap is confusing network policies with Azure Firewall—remember that network policies are Kubernetes-native and control east-west traffic inside the cluster, not north-south traffic from the internet. Memory tip: think of network policies as the “internal bouncer” for pods, checking IDs (labels) before letting them talk to each other.
SC-100 Design security for infrastructure Practice Question
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security for infrastructure. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Which THREE of the following are best practices for securing Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable Azure Policy for AKS
A is correct because Azure Policy for AKS enforces organizational standards and assesses compliance at scale by applying built-in policies that restrict privileged containers, require pod security standards, and enforce HTTPS ingress. This reduces the attack surface and ensures clusters adhere to security baselines without manual intervention.
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.
✓
Enable Azure Policy for AKS
Why this is correct
Azure Policy enforces security standards on AKS.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Integrate Azure AD for Kubernetes RBAC
Why this is correct
Azure AD provides centralized identity management.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Use network policies to control pod-to-pod communication
Why this is correct
Network policies provide micro-segmentation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Store secrets in Kubernetes secrets
Why it's wrong here
Secrets should be stored in Key Vault with CSI driver.
✗
Allow all node pools to communicate freely
Why it's wrong here
Node pools should be isolated based on security requirements.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume Kubernetes secrets are secure by default, but the exam tests awareness that they lack encryption at rest and proper access controls, making Azure Key Vault or external secrets stores the recommended approach.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Policy for AKS uses the Azure Policy Add-on, which installs the Gatekeeper v3 admission controller webhook to enforce Open Policy Agent (OPA) constraints on pod creation. Under the hood, it intercepts API server requests and validates them against custom or built-in constraint templates, rejecting non-compliant deployments before they reach etcd. In a real-world scenario, a misconfigured pod with hostNetwork access could bypass network policies, but Azure Policy can block such privileged settings at admission time.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-100 question in full detail.
Design security for infrastructure — This question tests Design security for infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Azure Policy for AKS — A is correct because Azure Policy for AKS enforces organizational standards and assesses compliance at scale by applying built-in policies that restrict privileged containers, require pod security standards, and enforce HTTPS ingress. This reduces the attack surface and ensures clusters adhere to security baselines without manual intervention.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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