- A
Use a VPC Service Controls perimeter with restricted API access.
Why wrong: VPC Service Controls control data exfiltration, not residency at rest.
- B
Use Cloud VPN to encrypt data in transit.
Why wrong: Cloud VPN encrypts data in transit, not at rest.
- C
Set bucket locations at creation time and use Object Lifecycle Management to prevent cross-region replication.
Setting bucket location and disabling replication ensures data remains in the chosen region.
- D
Configure Organization Policies to restrict resource locations via `gcp.resource-locations` constraint.
Organization Policies can enforce location constraints on resources.
- E
Enable Data Loss Prevention (DLP) API to mask sensitive data.
Why wrong: DLP masks data but does not enforce residency.
Question 99 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.
Which TWO of the following are valid methods to enforce data residency at rest in Google Cloud?
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
✓
Set bucket locations at creation time and use Object Lifecycle Management to prevent cross-region replication.
Option C is correct because setting bucket locations at creation time and using Object Lifecycle Management to prevent cross-region replication ensures that data is stored only in the specified region and cannot be moved or replicated to another region. This directly enforces data residency at rest by controlling where the data physically resides within Google Cloud Storage.
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 a VPC Service Controls perimeter with restricted API access.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls control data exfiltration, not residency at rest.
- ✗
Use Cloud VPN to encrypt data in transit.
- ✓
Set bucket locations at creation time and use Object Lifecycle Management to prevent cross-region replication.
Why this is correct
Setting bucket location and disabling replication ensures data remains in the chosen region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Configure Organization Policies to restrict resource locations via `gcp.resource-locations` constraint.
Why this is correct
Organization Policies can enforce location constraints on resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable Data Loss Prevention (DLP) API to mask sensitive data.
Why it's wrong here
DLP masks data but does not enforce residency.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
In Google Cloud exams, a common pitfall is confusing data residency enforcement (geographic location control) with data protection methods (encryption, masking, access controls). Candidates often select options that secure data but do not enforce the storage location.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, bucket location constraints are enforced at the API level during object writes, and Object Lifecycle Management rules can be configured with conditions like `matchesStorageClass` or `age` to delete or abort cross-region replication operations. In a real-world scenario, a financial institution subject to GDPR might set a bucket location to `EU` and add a lifecycle rule to delete any objects that are replicated outside the EU, ensuring compliance with data residency requirements.
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.
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
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
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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: Set bucket locations at creation time and use Object Lifecycle Management to prevent cross-region replication. — Option C is correct because setting bucket locations at creation time and using Object Lifecycle Management to prevent cross-region replication ensures that data is stored only in the specified region and cannot be moved or replicated to another region. This directly enforces data residency at rest by controlling where the data physically resides within Google Cloud Storage.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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