Binary Authorization for containers in GCP - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding Binary Authorization Policy Enforcement

What happens when a container image is deployed to Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) with Binary Authorization enabled, but the image is not signed by a trusted authority?

A The deployment is blocked and the container does not start.

B The container starts but logs a warning about the unsigned image.

C The container starts normally without any restrictions.

D The deployment is allowed only if the image is from a public registry.

💡 Hint

Think about the purpose of Binary Authorization in enforcing image trust.

Binary Authorization blocks deployment of container images that are not signed by trusted authorities to ensure only verified images run in the cluster.

❓ Architecture

intermediate

Configuring Binary Authorization with Attestors

You want to enforce that only container images signed by your internal CI system can be deployed to your GKE cluster. Which component must you configure in Binary Authorization to achieve this?

A Enable Shielded Nodes on the GKE cluster.

B Create an Attestor linked to your CI system's signing keys.

C Configure a Network Policy to restrict image downloads.

D Set up a Cloud Armor policy for the cluster.

💡 Hint

Consider how Binary Authorization verifies image signatures.

Attestors are entities in Binary Authorization that verify signatures from trusted sources like your CI system.

❓ security

advanced

Impact of Missing Attestor in Binary Authorization Policy

What is the effect on container image deployment if a Binary Authorization policy requires an Attestor that is not configured or missing?

A The policy is ignored and deployment proceeds normally.

B All container images are allowed without signature verification.

C Only images signed by other Attestors are allowed; unsigned images are blocked.

D All container image deployments are blocked until the Attestor is configured.

💡 Hint

Think about how Binary Authorization enforces policies with required Attestors.

If a required Attestor is missing, Binary Authorization cannot verify signatures and blocks all deployments to maintain security.

❓ service_behavior

advanced

Binary Authorization Behavior with Multiple Attestors

If a Binary Authorization policy requires multiple Attestors, what is the expected behavior when a container image is signed by only some of them?

A The deployment is blocked because all Attestors must approve the image.

B The deployment is allowed if at least one Attestor approves the image.

C The deployment is allowed only if the image is signed by the first Attestor in the list.

D The deployment is allowed regardless of Attestor signatures.

💡 Hint

Consider the strictness of requiring multiple Attestors in a policy.

Binary Authorization requires that all specified Attestors approve the image for deployment to proceed.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Best Practice for Managing Binary Authorization Keys

Which practice is best for managing signing keys used by Binary Authorization Attestors to ensure security and operational reliability?

A Share signing keys publicly to allow easy verification by all developers.

B Use the same signing key indefinitely to avoid deployment failures.

C Rotate signing keys regularly and store private keys securely using Cloud KMS.

D Store private signing keys on developer laptops for quick access.

💡 Hint

Think about key security and operational continuity.

Regular key rotation and secure storage using Cloud KMS reduce risk of key compromise and ensure trusted signing.