Google PCA Designing for Security and Compliance Practice Question
An organization needs to store API keys and database passwords securely in Google Cloud. They want to automatically rotate secrets every 30 days. Which 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 supports automatic rotation with a rotation period and can trigger a Cloud Function to generate a new secret version.
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 Storage with bucket-level encryption
Why it's wrong here
Storing secrets in Cloud Storage is not recommended due to lack of built-in rotation and auditing.
- ✗
Cloud Key Management Service (Cloud KMS)
Why it's wrong here
Cloud KMS manages encryption keys, not application secrets like API keys.
- ✓
Secret Manager
Why this is correct
Secret Manager is designed for storing API keys, passwords, and other secrets, and supports rotation.
- ✗
Cloud Runtime Configurator
Why it's wrong here
Runtime Configurator is for storing configuration data, not secrets, and does not support rotation.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Google Cloud Platform
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.
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.
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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.