Google PCA Designing for Security and Compliance Practice Question
A developer wants to store a database password that is used by a Cloud Function. The password must be automatically rotated every 30 days and accessed securely without storing it in the source code. Which GCP service 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
✓
Secret Manager
Secret Manager stores secrets like API keys and passwords. It supports automatic rotation via Cloud Scheduler and Cloud Functions, and provides fine-grained access control.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cloud KMS
Why it's wrong here
Cloud KMS manages encryption keys, not secrets; it lacks native secret rotation and versioning capabilities. The requirement for automatic 30-day rotation and secure access without source-code storage demands a secrets management service like Secret Manager, which handles rotation schedules and access controls directly. Cloud KMS is tempting because it securely encrypts data at rest, and would be correct if the developer only needed to encrypt the password before storing it elsewhere, rather than managing the password lifecycle itself.
- ✗
Cloud Runtime Configuration
Why it's wrong here
Runtime Configurator is for dynamic configuration, not secret management.
- ✓
Secret Manager
Why this is correct
Secret Manager is designed for storing and managing secrets with rotation capabilities.
- ✗
Firestore
Why it's wrong here
Firestore is a database, not a secure secret store.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Google Cloud Platform
Key term
Service
A service is a software component or system that performs a specific function and is available to be used by other programs or users over a network.
Key term
Secret Manager
A Secret Manager is a centralized tool that securely stores, manages, and controls access to sensitive information like passwords, API keys, and certificates, often automating their rotation and injection into applications.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCA 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 PCA exam.