Question 76 of 960
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PCSE Practice Question: A company uses Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)…
A company uses Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) to secure access to an internal web application hosted on Compute Engine. After a recent security audit, the team wants to ensure that only users with specific attributes can access the app, such as belonging to the 'engineering' group and having a verified corporate email. What is the best approach to enforce this requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between network-level controls (VPC Service Controls) and identity-aware access (IAP), leading candidates to incorrectly choose VPC Service Controls for user attribute enforcement, when in fact IAP access levels are the correct mechanism for granular, attribute-based authorization.
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
✓
Configure IAP with access levels that require the user to be in the 'engineering' group and have a verified email.
Cloud IAP integrates with Identity-Aware Proxy access levels, which allow you to enforce attribute-based access control (ABAC) using Google Cloud's context-aware access features. By configuring an access level that requires the user to belong to the 'engineering' group (via Cloud Identity or G Suite group membership) and have a verified corporate email (e.g., using the `email_verified` attribute from the identity provider), you can precisely restrict access to the Compute Engine web application without modifying the application code.
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 VPC Service Controls to restrict access based on user attributes.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls control access between services, not user authentication.
- ✗
Disable OAuth and use a custom JWT with group membership claims.
Why it's wrong here
IAP requires OAuth; disabling it breaks authentication.
- ✗
Set up an HTTP load balancer with a custom header that passes group membership from the identity provider.
Why it's wrong here
IAP does not rely on custom headers for attribute enforcement.
- ✓
Configure IAP with access levels that require the user to be in the 'engineering' group and have a verified email.
Why this is correct
Access levels in Context-Aware Access can enforce group membership and email verification.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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