ITGSS Certified DevOps Engineer Practice Test 2025 - Free DevOps Practice Questions and Exam Preparation Guide

Using Kubernetes network policies is recommended as a security approach instead of relying on a third-party proxy because it allows for native and flexible control over the communication between pods within a Kubernetes cluster. Network policies enable the specification of rules that define how groups of pods can communicate with each other and with other network endpoints, thus providing a robust mechanism for isolating and securing workloads.

By leveraging Kubernetes' built-in networking capabilities, network policies ensure that only authorized traffic flows between pods, drastically reducing the attack surface. This approach integrates seamlessly with Kubernetes' architecture, making it more efficient and straightforward than deploying and managing additional third-party proxies.

In contrast, third-party firewalls, system surveys, and user-defined routes may offer some level of network control and security but do not provide the same level of fine-grained traffic management and isolation as Kubernetes network policies do. These alternatives may also introduce additional complexity and potential points of failure into the infrastructure, making network policies the superior choice for maintaining security within a Kubernetes environment.