The answer is to use Cloud Run’s built-in IAM-based authentication and automatic TLS for internal requests. This approach works because Cloud Run automatically provisions and manages TLS certificates for every endpoint, ensuring all inter-service communication is encrypted via HTTPS by default. For authentication, you simply configure the receiving Cloud Run service to require a valid IAM token from the caller, which the calling service can generate using its own service account—no sidecar proxies or additional infrastructure needed. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this question tests your understanding of Cloud Run’s native security features versus more complex solutions like service meshes or custom certificates; a common trap is assuming you need a separate proxy or VPN for internal encryption. Remember the mnemonic “IAM + TLS = Cloud Run’s built-in shield”—if the exam asks about encrypting and authenticating microservices on Cloud Run, the simplest and best answer is always its native IAM and automatic TLS.
PCD Building and testing applications Practice Question
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of building and testing applications. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 company is developing a microservices application on Google Cloud. Each service is deployed as a Docker container on Cloud Run. The development team wants to ensure that inter-service communication is encrypted and authenticated. What is the best approach?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Cloud Run's built-in IAM-based authentication and automatic TLS for internal requests.
Cloud Run automatically provisions TLS certificates for all incoming requests and supports IAM-based authentication for internal requests between services in the same Google Cloud project. This means inter-service communication is encrypted by default via HTTPS and can be authenticated by configuring the receiving service to require a valid IAM token from the caller, without any additional infrastructure or sidecar proxies.
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 Run's built-in IAM-based authentication and automatic TLS for internal requests.
Why this is correct
Cloud Run uses IAM to authenticate requests between services and automatically provisions TLS certificates.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure mutual TLS (mTLS) between services using Cloud Endpoints.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Run does not support mTLS natively; IAM-based authentication is preferred.
✗
Deploy a sidecar proxy on each Cloud Run service to handle TLS termination.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Run does not support sidecar proxies; it uses built-in IAM authentication.
✗
Assign a service account to each service and use its private key to sign requests.
Why it's wrong here
Service account keys are not used for signing requests in Cloud Run; IAM tokens are used.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that you need to manually configure mTLS or deploy sidecar proxies for encryption and authentication in Cloud Run, when in fact Cloud Run's built-in IAM and automatic TLS handle both requirements natively.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Run uses Google Front Ends (GFEs) to automatically terminate TLS with certificates managed by Google, and internal requests (e.g., via the 'run.app' domain) are encrypted by default. For authentication, Cloud Run integrates with IAM so that a caller service can attach an OIDC token (generated from its own service account) to requests, and the receiver validates the token against IAM policies — this avoids the overhead of managing mTLS certificates or sidecar proxies.
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.
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.
Building and testing applications — This question tests Building and testing applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Cloud Run's built-in IAM-based authentication and automatic TLS for internal requests. — Cloud Run automatically provisions TLS certificates for all incoming requests and supports IAM-based authentication for internal requests between services in the same Google Cloud project. This means inter-service communication is encrypted by default via HTTPS and can be authenticated by configuring the receiving service to require a valid IAM token from the caller, without any additional infrastructure or sidecar proxies.
What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This PCD 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 PCD exam.
Question Discussion
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