- A
Use Cloud External Key Manager (EKM) to integrate with on-premises HSM
Why wrong: EKM is possible but not the simplest; also rotation management depends on external system.
- B
Use Cloud SQL with customer-supplied encryption keys (CSEK) and automate rotation with Cloud Scheduler
Why wrong: CSEK is for Compute Engine persistent disks, not Cloud SQL.
- C
Use Cloud SQL with CMEK backed by Cloud HSM, and set automatic rotation period of 90 days
CMEK with Cloud HSM provides customer-controlled, HSM-backed keys with automatic rotation.
- D
Use Cloud SQL's default encryption with organization policy requiring rotation
Why wrong: Default encryption uses Google-managed keys, not HSM.
Question 371 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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 financial services company must comply with PCI DSS. They use Cloud SQL for MySQL for transaction processing. They need to ensure that all data at rest is encrypted with keys generated and stored in a Hardware Security Module (HSM) and that key rotation occurs every 90 days. Which configuration 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
✓
Use Cloud SQL with CMEK backed by Cloud HSM, and set automatic rotation period of 90 days
Option C is correct because Cloud SQL with CMEK backed by Cloud HSM meets the requirement for keys generated and stored in an HSM, and Cloud HSM supports automatic key rotation with a configurable period, including 90 days. CMEK allows you to manage and rotate the key used to encrypt data at rest, while Cloud HSM provides FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated HSM for key storage. The automatic rotation period can be set to 90 days via the key rotation policy in Cloud KMS, satisfying the compliance mandate.
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.
- ✗
Use Cloud External Key Manager (EKM) to integrate with on-premises HSM
Why it's wrong here
EKM is possible but not the simplest; also rotation management depends on external system.
- ✗
Use Cloud SQL with customer-supplied encryption keys (CSEK) and automate rotation with Cloud Scheduler
Why it's wrong here
CSEK is for Compute Engine persistent disks, not Cloud SQL.
- ✓
Use Cloud SQL with CMEK backed by Cloud HSM, and set automatic rotation period of 90 days
Why this is correct
CMEK with Cloud HSM provides customer-controlled, HSM-backed keys with automatic rotation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Cloud SQL's default encryption with organization policy requiring rotation
Why it's wrong here
Default encryption uses Google-managed keys, not HSM.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse CSEK with CMEK, assuming CSEK provides HSM-backed keys, but CSEK keys are stored in Cloud KMS software, not in an HSM, and cannot be automatically rotated for Cloud SQL.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud HSM is a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated hardware security module that stores key material in tamper-resistant hardware, and when used with CMEK, the key hierarchy includes a Cloud HSM key that encrypts the data encryption keys (DEKs) used by Cloud SQL. The automatic rotation period in Cloud KMS is set via the `rotation_period` field in the key's IAM policy, and when a key is rotated, new data is encrypted with the new key version, while old data remains decryptable with the old version. In a real-world scenario, if the rotation period is set to 90 days, Cloud KMS automatically generates a new key version every 90 days, and Cloud SQL uses the primary key version for new writes, ensuring compliance without manual intervention.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: Use Cloud SQL with CMEK backed by Cloud HSM, and set automatic rotation period of 90 days — Option C is correct because Cloud SQL with CMEK backed by Cloud HSM meets the requirement for keys generated and stored in an HSM, and Cloud HSM supports automatic key rotation with a configurable period, including 90 days. CMEK allows you to manage and rotate the key used to encrypt data at rest, while Cloud HSM provides FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated HSM for key storage. The automatic rotation period can be set to 90 days via the key rotation policy in Cloud KMS, satisfying the compliance mandate.
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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