- A
Use the Compute Engine default service account for the node pool.
Why wrong: Also broad permissions.
- B
Enable Workload Identity, create a Kubernetes service account, and annotate it to map to a Google Cloud service account with the necessary roles.
Follows best practices: keyless, least privilege.
- C
Create a Kubernetes secret containing a service account key and mount it into the pod.
Why wrong: Violates the requirement to avoid storing credentials.
- D
Assign the required IAM roles to the GKE node's default service account and use it from the pod.
Why wrong: Broad permissions; violates least privilege.
Question 912 of 1,000
PCSE Practice Question: Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access within a cloud solution environment. 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 company has a Kubernetes cluster on GKE that runs a microservice. The microservice needs to read from a Cloud Spanner database. The security team requires that the microservice uses the principle of least privilege and that credentials are never stored as Kubernetes secrets. What is the recommended configuration?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Clue:
"never"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
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
✓
Enable Workload Identity, create a Kubernetes service account, and annotate it to map to a Google Cloud service account with the necessary roles.
Using Workload Identity, you bind a Kubernetes service account to a Google Cloud service account that has the necessary Spanner roles. The GKE node's metadata server provides the credentials, and the application uses the Kubernetes service account identity.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 the Compute Engine default service account for the node pool.
Why it's wrong here
Also broad permissions.
- ✓
Enable Workload Identity, create a Kubernetes service account, and annotate it to map to a Google Cloud service account with the necessary roles.
Why this is correct
Follows best practices: keyless, least privilege.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "least", "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
- ✗
Create a Kubernetes secret containing a service account key and mount it into the pod.
Why it's wrong here
Violates the requirement to avoid storing credentials.
- ✗
Assign the required IAM roles to the GKE node's default service account and use it from the pod.
Why it's wrong here
Broad permissions; violates least privilege.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related PCSE questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment — This question tests Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Workload Identity, create a Kubernetes service account, and annotate it to map to a Google Cloud service account with the necessary roles. — Using Workload Identity, you bind a Kubernetes service account to a Google Cloud service account that has the necessary Spanner roles. The GKE node's metadata server provides the credentials, and the application uses the Kubernetes service account identity.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related PCSE questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least", "never". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCSE 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 PCSE exam.
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