Cloud Digital Leader Trust and security with Google Cloud Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Google transfers customer data to new hardware first, then ships the old hardware to the customer for self-destruction.

  Why it's wrong here

  Google never ships used storage media or servers to customers, nor does it require customers to self-destruct hardware. Customer data is logically migrated to other resources as part of normal operations, but physical hardware remains Google-owned and is decommissioned in accordance with Google's own security policies. Sending used hardware to customers would violate data isolation and compliance commitments, so this option reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the shared responsibility model.

• ✓

  Google uses approved data erasure and physical destruction processes (shredding, degaussing) for decommissioned storage media before hardware leaves its facilities.

  Why this is correct

  This is the correct answer. Google follows NIST 800-88-compliant sanitization procedures for storage media, combining cryptographic erase (secure key destruction) with physical destruction methods such as shredding and degaussing. These steps are performed inside Google's data centers before any hardware leaves the premises, and the process is independently audited to verify effectiveness. This guarantees that customer data cannot be reconstructed from decommissioned media.

• ✗

  Customer data on decommissioned hardware is automatically encrypted, making it safe to discard without wiping.

  Why it's wrong here

  Encryption at rest protects data while drives remain in service, but it is not a substitute for sanitization during decommissioning. If the encryption keys are ever recovered or were escrowed, ciphertext becomes readable; also, failed or repurposed drives may contain plaintext remnants. Google's decommissioning process therefore includes verified cryptographic erasure followed by physical destruction of the media, ensuring data is unrecoverable even if the drive itself is discarded.

• ✗

  Customers must pay a data destruction fee to ensure their data is wiped from decommissioned hardware.

  Why it's wrong here

  Secure data destruction is a standard, built-in part of Google's cloud operations, not a paid add-on. Customers do not need to purchase a separate 'data destruction fee' because Google's service terms and compliance accreditations already cover verified sanitization of decommissioned storage media. Any implication of an extra cost misrepresents Google's contractual and operational commitment to data protection.

Go deeper

Related to this question