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GCDL Practice Question: The principle of least privilege is a fundamental…
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of the principle of least privilege is a fundamental…. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
The principle of least privilege is a fundamental security concept applied to IAM in Google Cloud. Which statement best describes this principle?
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
All users should have read-only access to prevent accidental changes.
Read-only access may be too restrictive for users who need to make changes. Least privilege means exactly the right permissions for the job — neither too much nor unnecessarily little.
B
Best answer
Users and services should be granted only the minimum permissions required for their specific function, nothing more.
Least privilege limits access to what's actually needed. A developer deploying Cloud Run doesn't need BigQuery admin access. Minimizing permissions reduces the impact of credential compromise.
C
Distractor review
Administrators should have full access so they can respond to any emergency quickly.
Even administrators should follow least privilege, using elevated permissions only when needed (break-glass access). Permanent broad admin access creates unnecessary risk.
D
Distractor review
All employees should share the same IAM role to simplify permission management.
Shared roles eliminate individual accountability and can't be tailored to job functions. IAM supports granular per-user or per-group role assignments for precisely this reason.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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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?
Authentication checks who the user is.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Users and services should be granted only the minimum permissions required for their specific function, nothing more. — The principle of least privilege states that any user, service account, or system should have only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their specific job function — nothing more. In Google Cloud IAM, this means granting role bindings at the most specific resource level possible (project, service-level, or individual resource) rather than broadly. This limits the blast radius of a compromised account or insider threat.
What should I do if I get this GCDL question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related GCDL questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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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.