To inspect exposed ports for running Docker containers, the recommended approach is to first retrieve container IDs using docker ps --quiet and then pass them to docker inspect. The --format option allows selective output of container configuration details, including port mappings. The command docker ps --quiet | xargs docker inspect --format ': Ports=' correctly extracts port information for each container. Options that include the --all flag or incorrect formatting are not valid for this inspection use case. Checking exposed ports is an important activity in the Operate and Monitor stage because unnecessary open ports increase the attack surface and may violate container security best practices. Regular inspection helps ensure that only required ports are exposed, supporting secure runtime operations.

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