312-97 EC-Council Certified DevSecOps Engineer (ECDE) Questions and Answers

In AWS-based DevSecOps pipelines, static analysis tools such as PHPStan commonly send their results to AWS services through event-driven processing. When PHPStan detects security issues, the results are typically parsed and processed by anAWS Lambda function, which can transform findings and forward them to AWS Security Hub. CloudFormation is used for infrastructure provisioning, AWS Config evaluates configuration compliance, and Elastic Beanstalk is an application deployment service—none of these are suited for parsing and relaying scan results. Lambda functions provide a scalable and serverless way to handle scan outputs automatically. This integration ensures that security findings are centralized, visible, and actionable, aligning with secure automation practices during the Code stage.

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Jira usesAtlassian Query Language, commonly referred to as JQL, to search, filter, and manage issues. This query language allows users to create advanced searches using fields such as project, status, assignee, priority, and custom attributes. Although often informally called Jira Query Language, the official name among the given options is Atlassian Query Language. SQL and Java query language are unrelated and not used for issue searching in Jira. Using JQL during the Code stage improves traceability between source code commits, builds, and tracked issues, enabling teams to monitor progress, validate deployment status, and maintain alignment between development and delivery activities.

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The correct installation procedure for the Sqreen PHP microagent involves downloading the installer script and executing it with the organization token and application name. The curl -s option downloads the script silently, while the > redirection operator saves it locally as sqreen-install.sh. The script is then executed using bash, passing the required token and app name as parameters. Options using input redirection (<) are incorrect because they do not save the downloaded script to a file. The -i option includes HTTP headers in the output, which is unnecessary and could corrupt the script. Installing the microagent correctly enables runtime monitoring, attack detection, and automatic blocking, supporting strong runtime security during the Operate and Monitor stage.

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HashiCorp Vault enables authentication mechanisms using the vault auth enable command followed by the name of the authentication method. To enable AppRole authentication, the correct command is vault auth enable approle. AppRole is specifically designed for machine-to-machine authentication, making it ideal for CI/CD tools like Jenkins. It allows applications to authenticate securely using role IDs and secret IDs instead of static credentials. The other options do not follow Vault CLI syntax and would result in command errors. Enabling AppRole during the Build and Test stage ensures that secrets are accessed securely and dynamically, supporting least-privilege access control and reducing the risk of credential leakage across the DevSecOps pipeline.

Retire.js is a Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tool designed specifically to identify known vulnerabilities in JavaScript libraries used in web and NodeJS applications. It scans dependencies and compares detected versions against a vulnerability database to identify insecure libraries. Bandit is a static analysis tool for Python, Bundler-Audit is used for Ruby dependencies, and Tenable.io focuses on infrastructure and vulnerability management rather than JavaScript libraries. Using Retire.js during the Code stage allows DevSecOps teams to identify insecure third-party dependencies early, reducing the likelihood of vulnerable libraries being deployed into production. This supports shift-left security and strengthens the application’s overall security posture.

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Ablameless post-mortemis conducted after a security incident to analyze what happened, why it happened, and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future—without assigning individual blame. The key indicators in the scenario are that the team identified the cause, resolved the issue, and documented lessons learned for future reference. Security acceptance tests and smoke tests are pre-release validation activities, while white-box testing focuses on code-level analysis rather than incident review. Blameless post-mortems are a cornerstone of DevSecOps culture, encouraging transparency, continuous learning, and systemic improvement during the Operate and Monitor stage.

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Prisma Cloud leveragesadvanced unsupervised machine learningto establish baselines of normal behavior within a customer’s cloud environment. By analyzing patterns in network traffic, resource interactions, and workload behavior without relying on labeled training data, it can detect anomalies and potential zero-day attacks with minimal false positives. Supervised approaches require predefined labels and known attack patterns, which limits effectiveness against new or unknown threats. Unsupervised data mining alone lacks the adaptive intelligence provided by machine learning models. Using unsupervised machine learning during the Build and Test stage enables continuous, intelligent security analysis across dynamic cloud-native workloads, supporting proactive threat detection in DevSecOps pipelines.

The Jscrambler configuration file .jscramblerrc is written inJSON format. JSON is widely used for configuration because it is lightweight, human-readable, and easily parsed by tools in CI/CD pipelines. Removing access and secret keys from this file is a recommended security practice to prevent credential leakage when the repository is shared or stored in version control. Instead, credentials are typically injected through environment variables or secure CI/CD secrets. XML, YAML, and HTML are not the formats used by Jscrambler for its primary configuration file. Using JSON-based configuration during the Code stage allows consistent integration with GitLab pipelines while maintaining secure handling of sensitive data.

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Bundler-Audit is a Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tool designed specifically for Ruby applications. It scans theGemfile and Gemfile.lockto identify all declared dependencies and their resolved versions. The Gemfile specifies which gems the application depends on, while the Gemfile.lock ensures consistent dependency versions across environments. Bundler-Audit compares this dependency information against a database ofknown vulnerabilitiesto identify insecure or outdated gems. It does not rely on the Travis CI configuration file for vulnerability detection, nor does it compare against unknown vulnerabilities. Integrating Bundler-Audit into the Build and Test stage ensures that vulnerable third-party libraries are detected early, allowing developers to remediate issues before the application progresses further in the pipeline. This practice supports shift-left security and reduces the risk of introducing known vulnerabilities into production systems.

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Conjur policies define access controls, authentication rules, and secret variables, and they must be loaded into the correct policy branch. The conjur policy load command uses the -b flag to specify thepolicy branchand the -f flag to specify thepolicy file. To load a policy into the root branch, the correct command is conjur policy load -b root -f . Options that reverse or misuse these flags are invalid and would either fail or load the policy incorrectly. Loading policies correctly during the Build and Test stage ensures that Jenkins pipelines can securely access secrets at runtime, enforcing centralized secret management, least-privilege access, and compliance with security requirements.

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BeSECURE is a vulnerability management and assessment solution designed for continuous scanning of both network and application vulnerabilities. It emphasizes flexibility, accuracy, low maintenance overhead, and frequent updates to vulnerability detection mechanisms. These characteristics align directly with the scenario described, where the organization requires continuous scanning, daily updates, and specialized testing methodologies to detect a wide range of vulnerabilities. SonarQube focuses on static code quality and security analysis during development, Black Duck is primarily used for open-source software composition analysis, and Shadow Daemon is a web application firewall rather than a comprehensive vulnerability management solution. Using BeSECURE during the Operate and Monitor stage allows organizations to maintain ongoing visibility into their security posture, detect new vulnerabilities as they emerge, and reduce the likelihood of repeat attacks by addressing weaknesses proactively.

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Jenkins exposes a predefined endpoint for receiving GitHub webhook events. This endpoint is /github-webhook/ and must be appended to the Jenkins base URL in the GitHub webhook configuration. Option C correctly matches the required endpoint format. The other options use incorrect casing, separators, or naming conventions that Jenkins does not recognize. Correct webhook configuration ensures that Jenkins jobs are automatically triggered when code changes occur in GitHub repositories. This integration supports continuous integration and immediate feedback during the Code stage of the DevSecOps pipeline.

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Chef InSpec provides a command-line interface for creating and executing compliance profiles. To initialize a new profile with the required directory structure, metadata file, and example controls, the correct command is inspec init profile . In Jeremy’s case, running inspec init profile jyren-azureTests creates a new folder with all required artifacts needed to write and run Azure compliance tests. Options using prof are invalid abbreviations, and prefixing the command with chef is incorrect when using the InSpec CLI directly. Creating a structured InSpec profile during the Build and Test stage enables automated validation of infrastructure against architectural standards and security policies, supporting Infrastructure as Code security and continuous compliance practices.

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HashiCorp Vault provides a key-value (KV) secrets engine for securely storing sensitive data. To remove a secret from the KV store, the correct command is vault kv del . This command deletes the secret data at the specified path. Options using -delete or -del are syntactically incorrect, and vault kv delete is not a valid Vault CLI command. Proper secret deletion is an essential part of secret lifecycle management, especially when credentials may have been compromised. Performing this action during the Operate and Monitor stage helps contain security incidents, reduce exposure, and ensure that compromised secrets are no longer accessible. Timely deletion of secrets supports effective incident response and strengthens overall security posture.

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Git post-commit hooks are executed automatically after a commit is successfully created. To trigger the Jenkins build job configured to respond to commits, Alex must create a valid Git commit using the correct Git command. The standard command to commit changes with a message is git commit -m "commit from terminal". Running this command records the changes in the repository and triggers the post-commit hook, which in turn initiates the Jenkins build. Commands using github commit are invalid because github is not a native Git command-line utility. The -b flag is also not used with git commit. Automating build triggers during the Code stage improves efficiency, reduces manual intervention, and ensures continuous integration is consistently enforced.

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Git requires developers to configure their identity using two specific configuration keys:user.nameanduser.email. These values are embedded into every commit and are essential for accountability, auditing, and collaboration. The correct configuration syntax uses dot-separated key names (user.name and user.email) and the --global flag to apply the settings across all repositories on the system. Among the provided options, only optionBuses the correct configuration keys. The other options use invalid key names such as user-name, user_name, or incorrect command structure. Although the options display a minor command typo (“get config” instead of git config), the question is clearly testing knowledge of the correct Git configuration keys. Configuring Git identity in the Code stage ensures accurate commit history and supports traceability across the DevSecOps pipeline.

Bitbucket provides a cloud-based source code management platform that supports collaboration, CI/CD integration, and secure code hosting. One of the key features offered by Bitbucket isfree unlimited private repositories, particularly beneficial for organizations developing proprietary software such as IoT applications. This allows teams to store source code securely without exposing it publicly while still enabling collaboration features like pull requests, issue tracking, and pipeline automation. The term “limited private repositories” is inaccurate because Bitbucket does not restrict the number of private repositories under its free offering; rather, user count limits apply. While Bitbucket also supports public repositories, the option that best represents its value to enterprise and product-based teams is unlimited private repositories. This capability aligns with DevSecOps practices by ensuring confidentiality of source code while enabling integrated planning, testing, and deployment workflows within a single platform.

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Kubernetes uses namespaces to logically isolate resources such as pods, services, and deployments. When an application like Jenkins is deployed into a specific namespace, the correct way to view the pods running in that namespace is by using the -n (or --namespace) flag with the kubectl get pods command. The command kubectl get pods -n jenkins instructs Kubernetes to list all pods in the “jenkins” namespace. The other options use invalid or unrelated flags that are not supported for namespace selection. Verifying pod status during the Release and Deploy stage is essential to ensure that applications have been deployed successfully and are running as expected before exposing services or proceeding to monitoring. This step supports deployment validation and operational readiness in Kubernetes-based DevSecOps environments.

AWS CodeCommit is a fully managed, AWS-hosted source control service that allows teams to store and manage source code, binaries, and other digital assets securely in the cloud. It supports Git-based repositories and integrates seamlessly with other AWS DevOps services such as CodeBuild, CodePipeline, and CodeDeploy. CodePipeline orchestrates CI/CD workflows, CodeBuild performs build and test operations, and CodeDeploy automates application deployment—but none of these are version control systems. For organizations migrating from on-prem to AWS, CodeCommit provides fine-grained access control using IAM, encryption at rest and in transit, and high availability without the need to manage infrastructure. Using CodeCommit during the Code stage supports secure collaboration, version tracking, and centralized source control aligned with DevSecOps best practices.

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Ubuntu systems use the Advanced Package Tool (APT) for installing and managing software packages. The correct syntax for installing a package is sudo apt-get install . In this case, the OpenSSH server package required for secure remote access is named openssh-server, makingsudo apt-get install openssh-serverthe correct command. Options using apt.get are invalid because the command syntax is incorrect. Options that include the -s flag only simulate the installation process and do not actually install the package. Installing OpenSSH is often required when integrating Docker Bench with Jenkins, as it enables secure communication and remote execution of compliance checks. Performing this setup during the Build and Test stage ensures that container hosts comply with Docker CIS Benchmark recommendations, helping organizations identify misconfigurations and security weaknesses early in the pipeline.

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When configuring Burp Suite scans in Jenkins using an Execute shell build step, environment variables are often set or echoed so that subsequent scan steps can consume them. The echo command is used to output or define values in the shell context. In this case, echo BURP_SCAN_URL = http://target-website.com correctly defines the target URL for Burp Suite scanning. Commands like grep and cat are used for searching or displaying file contents and are not appropriate for setting scan parameters. The sudo command is unnecessary and incorrect in this context. Using the correct shell command ensures that Burp Suite receives the proper target information during the Build and Test stage, enabling accurate dynamic application security testing.

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Cloning a GitHub repository requires the standard Git command git clone followed by the correct repository URL format. GitHub repositories are structured as https://github.com/USERNAME/REPOSITORY.git, where USERNAME represents the account or organization name and REPOSITORY represents the project name. Option B follows this exact structure. Options using github clone are invalid because github is not a Git CLI command. Options that reverse the order of USERNAME and REPOSITORY do not match GitHub’s repository structure and will fail. Cloning repositories during the Code stage allows DevSecOps engineers to run static analysis, dependency scanning, and other security checks locally without modifying the original repository, supporting secure and controlled analysis workflows.

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In Go-based tool installation, the standard method to download, compile, and install a Go package is using the go get command followed by the repository import path. Since Matt has already ensured that Go version 1.8 or later is installed and that $GOPATH/bin is included in the system PATH, running go get github.com/michenriksen/gitrob will fetch the GitRob source code, build the binary, and place it in the appropriate bin directory. Options B, C, and D are invalid because go get does not accept multiple positional arguments in that manner, and go git is not a valid Go command. Installing GitRob during the Code stage enables DevSecOps teams to scan repositories for accidentally committed credentials, API keys, and other sensitive information, helping prevent data leakage from public repositories.

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To clone a repository from GitHub, the correct command is git clone followed by the accurate repository URL. The organization name continuumsecurity and repository name bdd-security must be spelled correctly for the command to succeed. Options using github clone are invalid because github is not a standard Git command-line utility. Options with misspelled organization names will result in errors. Cloning security testing frameworks during the Code stage enables DevSecOps engineers to evaluate, customize, and integrate security automation tools into development workflows, supporting secure application development and testing practices.

Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) solutions are classified based on how they interact with the application and runtime environment. In this scenario, the solution uses aweb scannerto actively send requests to the application while also deploying anagent inside the application serverto observe runtime behavior and map vulnerabilities directly to source code locations. This combined approach is known assemi-active IAST. It is considered “semi-active” because it actively drives traffic through the application using a scanner, while the agent passively observes execution paths, data flows, and method calls. Passive IAST solutions rely only on observing existing traffic and do not use scanners, while active IAST solutions do not typically rely on deep runtime agents in the same manner. Semi-active IAST significantly reduces false positives and provides precise remediation details, making it highly effective during the Build and Test stage, where applications are actively exercised and security issues can be identified and fixed before release.

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Coverity is a well-known Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tool used to analyze source code for security vulnerabilities, coding errors, and quality issues. It integrates with CI/CD pipelines and supports enterprise-scale environments, including cloud-based development on platforms such as Azure. Accurics focuses on Infrastructure as Code security, Tenable.io is a vulnerability management platform for infrastructure and assets, and DevSkim is a lightweight code scanning extension rather than a full SAST platform. Selecting Coverity enables deep static analysis of application code during the Code stage, helping teams detect vulnerabilities early and reduce remediation costs.

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The DevSec Hardening Framework is commonly implemented usingChef, and it is executed locally using the chef-solo command. The -c flag specifies the configuration file (solo.rb), and the -j flag specifies the JSON attributes file (solo.json). Option A correctly uses both required parameters in the proper format. The other options incorrectly swap or misuse flags that are not supported by Chef-solo. Running this command applies secure configurations, compliance controls, and cryptographic standards to the target system. Executing DevSec Hardening Framework during the Operate and Monitor stage ensures that systems remain secure, compliant, and resilient against misconfiguration-based attacks.

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