- A
Network Policies
Why wrong: Network policies control pod-to-pod traffic, not API access.
- B
Pod Security Policies
Why wrong: PSP (deprecated) controls security contexts, not API access.
- C
Cloud Audit Logs
Why wrong: Audit logs are for monitoring, not access control.
- D
Workload Identity
Maps Kubernetes SA to Google SA for fine-grained IAM.
Question 241 of 1,000
Google PCA Design for security and compliance Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design for security and compliance. 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 runs a Kubernetes cluster on GKE. They need to ensure that pods cannot access Google Cloud APIs unless explicitly allowed through a service account. Which GKE feature should they use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Workload Identity
Workload Identity is the correct choice because it allows pods in GKE to authenticate to Google Cloud APIs using a specific Google service account, rather than the default Compute Engine service account. This ensures that pods cannot access any Google Cloud APIs unless explicitly granted permission via IAM roles bound to that service account, meeting the requirement for least-privilege access.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Network Policies
Why it's wrong here
Network policies control pod-to-pod traffic, not API access.
- ✗
Pod Security Policies
Why it's wrong here
PSP (deprecated) controls security contexts, not API access.
- ✗
Cloud Audit Logs
Why it's wrong here
Audit logs are for monitoring, not access control.
- ✓
Workload Identity
Why this is correct
Maps Kubernetes SA to Google SA for fine-grained IAM.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse network-level controls (Network Policies) with identity-based access controls, or they assume that Pod Security Policies can restrict API access, when in fact only Workload Identity provides the mechanism to explicitly bind pod identity to a specific Google service account for API authorization.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Workload Identity works by creating a Kubernetes service account that is bound to a Google service account via IAM. When a pod uses this Kubernetes service account, GKE automatically exchanges the pod's identity token for a Google Cloud access token, which is then used to call Google Cloud APIs. This eliminates the need to store service account keys in secrets and ensures that each pod has a distinct identity, making it easier to audit and enforce least-privilege access in multi-tenant clusters.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCA question test?
Design for security and compliance — This question tests Design for security and compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Workload Identity — Workload Identity is the correct choice because it allows pods in GKE to authenticate to Google Cloud APIs using a specific Google service account, rather than the default Compute Engine service account. This ensures that pods cannot access any Google Cloud APIs unless explicitly granted permission via IAM roles bound to that service account, meeting the requirement for least-privilege access.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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