Binary Authorization for containers in GCP - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is Binary Authorization in Google Cloud?

Binary Authorization is a security feature that ensures only trusted container images are deployed on Google Kubernetes Engine by enforcing image signing and verification.

beginner

How does Binary Authorization verify container images before deployment?

It checks if the container image has a valid digital signature from a trusted authority before allowing deployment.

intermediate

What role do attestors play in Binary Authorization?

Attestors are trusted entities that sign container images to prove they passed security checks, enabling Binary Authorization to verify image trustworthiness.

beginner

Why is Binary Authorization important for container security?

It prevents untrusted or vulnerable container images from running in production, reducing risks of security breaches and ensuring compliance.

beginner

What happens if a container image fails Binary Authorization checks?

The deployment is blocked, and the container image is not allowed to run on the cluster until it passes the required signature verification.

What does Binary Authorization primarily enforce before deploying containers?

A Image signature verification

B Container resource limits

C Network policies

D User authentication

Binary Authorization ensures container images have valid signatures before deployment.

Who signs container images to prove they are trusted in Binary Authorization?

A Google Cloud support

B Cluster admins

C End users

D Attestors

Attestors are trusted entities that sign container images.

What happens if a container image is not signed or fails verification in Binary Authorization?

A Deployment proceeds with warnings

B Image is automatically signed

C Deployment is blocked

D Image is deleted

Unsigned or unverified images are blocked from deployment.

Binary Authorization is mainly used with which Google Cloud service?

A Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)

B Cloud Storage

C BigQuery

D Cloud Functions

Binary Authorization is designed to secure container deployments on GKE.

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of Binary Authorization?

A Enforcing image signature policies

B Automatically scaling containers

C Preventing untrusted container deployments

D Improving compliance and security

Binary Authorization does not handle container scaling.

Explain how Binary Authorization helps secure container deployments in Google Cloud.

Think about how trust is established and enforced before containers run.

Describe the role of attestors in the Binary Authorization process.

Who confirms that a container image is safe to deploy?

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of Binary Authorization in Google Cloud?

easy

A. To allow only trusted container images to run

B. To speed up container deployment

C. To monitor network traffic between containers

D. To automatically scale container clusters

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Binary Authorization's role

   Binary Authorization is designed to protect cloud environments by ensuring only trusted container images are deployed.

2. Step 2: Identify the main function

   It uses policies and signatures to verify container images before they run, preventing untrusted code execution.

3. Final Answer:

   To allow only trusted container images to run -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Binary Authorization = Trusted container enforcement [OK]

Hint: Binary Authorization controls which containers can run [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing it with scaling or monitoring tools
• Thinking it speeds up deployment
• Assuming it manages network traffic

2. Which of the following is the correct way to enable Binary Authorization on a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster?

easy

A. gcloud container clusters create my-cluster --enable-binauthz

B. gcloud container clusters create my-cluster --enable-auth-binary

C. gcloud container clusters create my-cluster --enable-binary-auth

D. gcloud container clusters create my-cluster --enable-binary-authorization

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the correct flag for enabling Binary Authorization

   The official gcloud command uses the flag --enable-binary-authorization to enable this feature on a GKE cluster.

2. Step 2: Compare options

   Only gcloud container clusters create my-cluster --enable-binary-authorization uses the exact correct flag syntax; others are incorrect or invalid flags.

3. Final Answer:

   gcloud container clusters create my-cluster --enable-binary-authorization -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Enable Binary Authorization flag = --enable-binary-authorization [OK]

Hint: Look for the full phrase 'binary-authorization' in the flag [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using shortened or incorrect flag names
• Mixing up flag order or syntax
• Assuming 'binauthz' is the flag

3. Consider this policy snippet for Binary Authorization:

{
  "attestors": ["projects/my-project/attestors/my-attestor"],
  "defaultAdmissionRule": {
    "enforcementMode": "ENFORCED",
    "requireAttestationsBy": ["projects/my-project/attestors/my-attestor"]
  }
}

What happens if a container image is not signed by the specified attestor?

medium

A. The container image will be deployed but logged

B. The container image will be blocked from deployment

C. The container image will be deployed without checks

D. The container image will be automatically signed

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the enforcement mode

   The policy sets "enforcementMode" to "ENFORCED", meaning only images meeting the policy are allowed.

2. Step 2: Check attestation requirement

   The policy requires attestations by the specified attestor. Unsigned images do not meet this requirement.

3. Final Answer:

   The container image will be blocked from deployment -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Enforced mode + missing signature = block deployment [OK]

Hint: Enforced mode means no unsigned images allowed [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing enforcement with audit mode
• Thinking unsigned images are allowed with logs
• Assuming automatic signing happens

4. You configured Binary Authorization but your container deployments are failing unexpectedly. Which of the following is a likely cause?

medium

A. The attestor's public key is not correctly configured

B. The cluster does not have enough CPU resources

C. The container image is too large

D. The network firewall blocks container traffic

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify Binary Authorization failure reasons

   Binary Authorization failures often happen if the attestor's public key is missing or misconfigured, preventing signature verification.

2. Step 2: Eliminate unrelated causes

   CPU resources, image size, and network firewall issues do not directly cause Binary Authorization failures.

3. Final Answer:

   The attestor's public key is not correctly configured -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Signature verification fails if attestor key is wrong [OK]

Hint: Check attestor keys first when deployments fail [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Blaming resource or network issues for auth failures
• Ignoring attestor key setup
• Assuming image size affects authorization

5. You want to test your Binary Authorization policy without blocking any container deployments. Which mode should you use and why?

hard

A. Disabled mode, to turn off Binary Authorization temporarily

B. Enforced mode, to block all untrusted images immediately

C. Audit mode, to log policy violations without blocking deployments

D. Strict mode, to require multiple attestations

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Binary Authorization modes

   Audit mode allows policy violations to be logged but does not block container deployments, ideal for testing.

2. Step 2: Compare other modes

   Enforced mode blocks untrusted images, Disabled mode turns off checks, and Strict mode is not a standard mode.

3. Final Answer:

   Audit mode, to log policy violations without blocking deployments -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Audit mode = test without blocking [OK]

Hint: Use audit mode to test policies safely [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing audit with enforced mode
• Thinking disabled mode logs violations
• Assuming strict mode exists