- A
Configure each VM to use IPsec tunnels to every other VM.
Why wrong: Not scalable and not native to Compute Engine.
- B
Deploy Anthos Service Mesh with mTLS enabled.
Service mesh with mTLS provides both encryption and authentication between services.
- C
Use Cloud VPN to encrypt all inter-VM traffic.
Why wrong: Cloud VPN is for on-premises connectivity, not inter-VM.
- D
Enable VPC Flow Logs and use firewall rules to allow only encrypted traffic.
Why wrong: Firewall rules cannot enforce encryption.
Question 352 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. 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.
A security architect is designing a zero-trust network for applications running on Compute Engine. They want to enforce that all traffic between VMs must be encrypted and authenticated, regardless of the VPC network. Which approach meets this requirement?
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
✓
Deploy Anthos Service Mesh with mTLS enabled.
Anthos Service Mesh with mTLS (mutual TLS) encrypts and authenticates all traffic between workloads at the application layer, regardless of the underlying VPC network. This meets the zero-trust requirement because mTLS ensures both encryption and mutual authentication for every request, without needing to manage per-VM tunnels or rely on network-layer constructs.
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.
- ✗
Configure each VM to use IPsec tunnels to every other VM.
Why it's wrong here
Not scalable and not native to Compute Engine.
- ✓
Deploy Anthos Service Mesh with mTLS enabled.
Why this is correct
Service mesh with mTLS provides both encryption and authentication between services.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Cloud VPN to encrypt all inter-VM traffic.
- ✗
Enable VPC Flow Logs and use firewall rules to allow only encrypted traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules cannot enforce encryption.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse network-layer encryption (like IPsec or Cloud VPN) with application-layer mTLS, assuming any encryption meets zero-trust requirements, but zero-trust demands per-request authentication and identity-based policy, which only a service mesh like Anthos with mTLS provides.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Anthos Service Mesh uses Envoy sidecar proxies to intercept all traffic between workloads, enforcing mTLS with X.509 certificates issued by the mesh's Certificate Authority. This provides per-request authentication and encryption using TLS 1.3, and the mesh can enforce fine-grained access policies (e.g., AuthorizationPolicy) based on service identity, not just IP addresses. In a real-world scenario, this allows a frontend service to communicate securely with a backend service across different VPCs or projects without exposing raw network paths.
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.
Quick reference
OSI Model Reference
| Layer | Name | PDU | Key Protocols / Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Application | Data | HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, SMTP, FTP, SSH |
| 6 | Presentation | Data | TLS / SSL, JPEG, ASCII encoding |
| 5 | Session | Data | NetBIOS, RPC, SIP |
| 4 | Transport | Segment / Datagram | TCP, UDP |
| 3 | Network | Packet | IP, ICMP, OSPF — Routers |
| 2 | Data Link | Frame | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, PPP — Switches, Bridges |
| 1 | Physical | Bits | Cables, NICs, Hubs, Repeaters |
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.
- →
Design for security and compliance — study guide chapter
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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: Deploy Anthos Service Mesh with mTLS enabled. — Anthos Service Mesh with mTLS (mutual TLS) encrypts and authenticates all traffic between workloads at the application layer, regardless of the underlying VPC network. This meets the zero-trust requirement because mTLS ensures both encryption and mutual authentication for every request, without needing to manage per-VM tunnels or rely on network-layer constructs.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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