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GCDL Practice Question: A company stores customer data in Google Cloud…
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of a company stores customer data in google cloud…. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company stores customer data in Google Cloud and wants to ensure data confidentiality in the event that hardware is decommissioned and returned by Google. How does Google protect customer data when storage hardware reaches end of life?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Customer data on decommissioned hardware is automatically encrypted, making it safe to discard without wiping.
While encryption at rest protects data while the hardware is in use, decommissioned hardware goes through explicit destruction procedures — encryption alone isn't the only safeguard.
B
Best answer
Google uses approved data erasure and physical destruction processes (shredding, degaussing) for decommissioned storage media before hardware leaves its facilities.
Google's documented hardware decommission process includes verified data erasure and physical destruction of storage media. This is covered in Google's security whitepaper and audited by third parties.
C
Distractor review
Google transfers customer data to new hardware first, then ships the old hardware to the customer for self-destruction.
Google never ships used hardware to customers. Google is responsible for secure destruction of decommissioned hardware within its facilities.
D
Distractor review
Customers must pay a data destruction fee to ensure their data is wiped from decommissioned hardware.
Google includes secure hardware disposition in its standard operations — no additional customer payment or action is required.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Related practice questions
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Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
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Question 1
A traditional retailer currently maintains its own data centers, purchasing servers every 3–5 years and paying for facilities, power, and staff regardless of demand. When it migrates its workloads to the public cloud, which change in cost model does it experience?
Question 2
An e-commerce company plans its infrastructure for peak shopping events (e.g., Black Friday) which drive 50× normal traffic. On-premises, they must maintain 50× capacity year-round. In the cloud, they provision 50× capacity only during peak periods. Which cloud characteristic enables this cost optimization?
Question 3
Which term describes the process by which organizations integrate digital technology into all areas of their business, fundamentally changing how they operate and deliver value to customers?
Question 4
When a company moves from maintaining its own data center to using Google Cloud, which operational responsibility does Google assume that the company previously managed?
Question 5
A hospital runs a patient records system that must remain on-premises due to strict regulatory data residency requirements. However, they also want to use cloud-based AI for diagnostic imaging analysis. Which cloud deployment model best describes their architecture?
Question 6
What is virtualization in the context of cloud computing, and why is it fundamental to how cloud providers deliver services?
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this GCDL question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Google uses approved data erasure and physical destruction processes (shredding, degaussing) for decommissioned storage media before hardware leaves its facilities. — Google's data destruction process ensures that all customer data is securely destroyed before hardware leaves Google facilities. For decommissioned storage (hard drives, SSDs), Google uses multiple rounds of data erasure followed by physical destruction (shredding, degaussing) of media that cannot be reliably erased. This prevents data recovery from discarded hardware. Google provides documentation of this process in its security whitepaper and third-party audit reports.
What should I do if I get this GCDL question wrong?
Identify which GCDL exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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This GCDL practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the GCDL exam.