Cloud-Native Security in DevSecOps Quiz Quiz

Explore key principles and techniques for securing cloud-native environments within the DevSecOps framework. This quiz covers best practices, common challenges, and crucial components in cloud-native security for agile development pipelines.

1. Securing Containers in DevSecOps

   Which approach is most effective for preventing vulnerabilities in container images before deployment?

   1. Assigning elevated privileges to all containers
   2. Enabling logging on network devices
   3. Relying solely on firewalls to protect running containers
   4. Regularly scanning images for vulnerabilities during build stages

   Explanation: Regularly scanning images during build stages helps detect and eliminate vulnerabilities early, reducing the attack surface before containers are deployed. Relying only on firewalls limits protection to the network layer and does not address software flaws. Enabling logging is important but does not prevent vulnerabilities. Assigning elevated privileges increases security risks by giving containers unnecessary access.

2. Principle of Least Privilege

   Why should cloud-native applications adhere to the principle of least privilege when assigning permissions?

   1. To eliminate the need for authentication entirely
   2. To maximize resource consumption for faster processing
   3. To allow unrestricted access for easier troubleshooting
   4. To minimize the potential impact of a compromised component

   Explanation: Restricting permissions to the least required level limits the damage an attacker can do if a component is compromised. Allowing more privileges than necessary, as in resource maximization or unrestricted access, increases risk. Eliminating authentication removes essential access controls, making systems vulnerable.

3. Microservices Security Challenges

   In a microservices architecture, what is a common security challenge when services communicate with each other?

   1. Increasing image replication for scalability
   2. Reducing the number of service endpoints
   3. Disabling encryption between services to improve speed
   4. Securing service-to-service authentication and authorization

   Explanation: Ensuring that each microservice properly authenticates and authorizes requests from other services is a significant security challenge, as it prevents unauthorized access. Simply reducing endpoints does not address security. Replicating images helps with scalability, not security. Disabling encryption exposes data and undermines confidentiality.

4. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Risks

   What is a primary security risk when using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) templates in cloud-native environments?

   1. Embedding hard-coded secrets or credentials in configuration files
   2. Using standardized syntax in templates
   3. Regularly updating auto-scaling policies
   4. Implementing version control for all files

   Explanation: Storing secrets or credentials directly in IaC files exposes sensitive data if those files are accessed by unauthorized users. Regular updates to policies are good practice, and version control increases accountability. Standardized syntax is not itself a security risk; the concern is specifically with secret management.

5. DevSecOps Pipeline Automation

   What is the main benefit of automating security checks within the DevSecOps pipeline compared to manual reviews?

   1. Increasing deployment frequency without oversight
   2. Replacing all human decision-making in development
   3. Disabling error reporting for faster delivery
   4. Identifying vulnerabilities earlier and consistently across builds

   Explanation: Automated security checks provide consistent and timely identification of vulnerabilities, reducing human error and ensuring issues are caught early. Increasing deployment frequency without oversight can introduce more risks, while automation should complement—not replace—human judgment. Disabling error reporting hides problems, rather than solving them.