From 100 to “Well, It’s Still a Pass”: My CKS Adventure

Remember that time I wrote about scoring a perfect 100 on the CKA exam? Well, grab your popcorn, because this story has a slightly different ending. Spoiler alert: perfection isn’t always repeatable, but that’s okay!

The Sequel Nobody Asked For

After riding high on my CKA success, I decided to tackle the Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) exam. Because why stop at being a Kubernetes administrator when you can also be a paranoid one, right?

Preparation Strategy

The Dynamic Duo of Learning Resources

My preparation centered around two fantastic resources:

  1. KillerCoda’s CKS Scenarios: The interactive playground became my second home. These hands-on scenarios were invaluable for practicing real-world security configurations and troubleshooting.

  2. The YouTube Deep Dive: An incredibly comprehensive video series by killer shell that broke down every aspect of Kubernetes security. At several hours long, it was like binge-watching a Netflix series, just with more YAML and less drama (though some might argue YAML itself is drama enough).

Key Focus Areas

During my preparation, I concentrated on:

  • Runtime Security: Understanding container runtime security, seccomp profiles, and AppArmor
  • Cluster Hardening: From RBAC to network policies
  • System Hardening: Because sometimes the call is coming from inside the house
  • Supply Chain Security: Image scanning, signing, and trusted registries
  • Microservice Vulnerabilities: Finding and fixing security issues in running applications
  • Monitoring & Logging: Because what you can’t see can definitely hurt you

Exam Experience

Remember how I mentioned my perfect CKA score? Well, let’s just say the security gods had different plans this time. The CKS exam proved to be a different beast entirely. While the CKA focused on administration tasks, the CKS throws you into scenarios that make you feel like a cyber detective. Some scenarios are much harder to prepare and involve tooling that is not Kubernetes specific — especially everything around logging and supply chain security.

Time Management: The Real Security Threat

The biggest challenge wasn’t just solving the problems — it was solving them while watching the clock tick down faster than a container orchestration system during a rolling update. Unlike my CKA experience where everything flowed perfectly, I found myself making strategic decisions about which questions to tackle first.

The Results

So, did I get another perfect score? Well… let’s just say I proved I’m human after all. But hey, a pass is a pass, and now I can officially call myself a Kubernetes Security Specialist. 🎉

Lessons Learned

  1. Practice Under Pressure: The KillerCoda scenarios were crucial for building muscle memory
  2. Understand the Why: Security isn’t just about memorizing commands; it’s about understanding attack vectors
  3. Perfect Scores Are Nice, But Not Required: Sometimes being “good enough” is actually good enough

Tips for Future CKS Candidates

  • Master the Basics: Your CKA knowledge is just the foundation
  • Learn to Think Like an Attacker: Understanding potential threats helps in designing better defenses
  • Speed Matters: Practice, practice, practice until the common commands become second nature
  • Don’t Get Hung Up on Perfection: Focus on understanding and applying security principles correctly

Conclusion

While I didn’t match my perfect CKA score, the CKS journey taught me something more valuable: in the real world of Kubernetes security, it’s not about being perfect — it’s about being vigilant, knowledgeable, and always ready to learn.

Because let’s face it, in the world of Kubernetes security, the only constant is change (and maybe the occasional improperly configured RBAC policy).

Stay secure, and remember: even if you don’t score 100%, you can still be 100% proud of becoming a certified Kubernetes Security Specialist!