This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of manage automation security and operations. 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.
An automation team wants to securely store SSH private keys for use in playbooks. Which Ansible feature should they use?
Ansible Collections
Why wrong: Collections are module packages, not for secret storage.
Ansible Vault
Ansible Vault encrypts sensitive data.
Ansible Fact Cache
Why wrong: Fact cache caches gathered facts, not secrets.
Ansible Galaxy
Why wrong: Galaxy distributes roles/collections, not for secrets.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Ansible Vault
Ansible Vault is the correct feature for securely storing SSH private keys because it encrypts sensitive data at rest using AES-256, allowing keys to be decrypted at runtime when a vault password or key is provided. This enables playbooks to reference encrypted SSH key files without exposing plaintext credentials in version control or on disk.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Ansible Collections
Why it's wrong here
Collections are module packages, not for secret storage.
Ansible Vault
Why this is correct
Ansible Vault encrypts sensitive data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Ansible Fact Cache
Why it's wrong here
Fact cache caches gathered facts, not secrets.
Ansible Galaxy
Why it's wrong here
Galaxy distributes roles/collections, not for secrets.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates might confuse Ansible Vault with Ansible Galaxy, assuming Galaxy provides security features because it is a central repository, but Galaxy only distributes content and has no encryption or secure storage capabilities.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Ansible Vault uses AES-256-CTR encryption with a PBKDF2HMAC-derived key from a user-supplied password, and the encrypted data is stored in YAML files with a header indicating the vault ID and encryption method. A subtle behavior is that vault-encrypted files can be decrypted only if the correct vault password is provided via --ask-vault-pass, a vault password file, or an Ansible Tower/AWX credential lookup, making it critical to manage vault passwords separately (e.g., using a secrets manager). In a real-world scenario, an automation team might encrypt an SSH private key file with `ansible-vault encrypt id_rsa` and then reference it in a playbook via `vars_files` or `lookup('file', 'id_rsa') | ansible.vault.decrypt`, ensuring the key never appears in plaintext in logs or repository history.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the EX294 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Manage automation security and operations — This question tests Manage automation security and operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Ansible Vault — Ansible Vault is the correct feature for securely storing SSH private keys because it encrypts sensitive data at rest using AES-256, allowing keys to be decrypted at runtime when a vault password or key is provided. This enables playbooks to reference encrypted SSH key files without exposing plaintext credentials in version control or on disk.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This EX294 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat 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 EX294 exam.
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