- A
Create an organization policy with the constraint 'constraints/storage.requireCustomerManagedEncryption'.
This constraint enforces CMEK on Cloud Storage.
- B
Grant the 'cloudkms.cryptoKeyEncrypterDecrypter' role to the Cloud Storage service account.
Why wrong: This is necessary for the service account to use the key, but it's not an organization policy step.
- C
Apply the organization policy at the folder level to cover all projects within that folder.
Folder-level application ensures inheritance to all child projects.
- D
Disable the 'storage.objects.setIamPolicy' permission for all users except the key administrators.
Why wrong: This does not enforce CMEK encryption.
- E
Define a list of allowed Cloud KMS keys using the 'constraints/storage.allowedEncryptionKeys' list constraint.
This specifies which CMEK keys are permitted.
Enforce CMEK via Organization Policy Constraint
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of pcse exam topics. 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 wants to enforce that all access to Cloud Storage buckets in a project is encrypted with Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK). The Security Engineer needs to configure the organization policy to meet this requirement. Which THREE steps should be taken? (Choose THREE.)
Quick Answer
The answer is to define a list of allowed Cloud KMS keys using the `constraints/storage.allowedEncryptionKeys` list constraint. This step is correct because the organization policy constraint `constraints/storage.requireCustomerManagedEncryption` enforces that all Cloud Storage buckets must use CMEK, but it alone does not specify which keys are permitted; the list constraint must be populated with the specific key resource names to actually enforce which Customer-Managed Encryption Keys are allowed. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how organization policy constraints work in tandem—one to mandate CMEK usage and another to whitelist approved keys—and a common trap is selecting only the require constraint without the list constraint. Remember the pairing: the require constraint turns on the rule, while the allowedEncryptionKeys constraint defines the scope. A helpful memory tip is "Require to enforce, allow to specify"—you need both to lock down encryption compliance effectively.
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
Create an organization policy with the constraint 'constraints/storage.requireCustomerManagedEncryption'.
Option A is correct because the `constraints/storage.requireCustomerManagedEncryption` organization policy constraint enforces that all Cloud Storage buckets in the project must use CMEK. When this constraint is applied, any attempt to create a bucket without specifying a CMEK key is denied, ensuring compliance with the encryption requirement.
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.
- ✓
Create an organization policy with the constraint 'constraints/storage.requireCustomerManagedEncryption'.
Why this is correct
This constraint enforces CMEK on Cloud Storage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Grant the 'cloudkms.cryptoKeyEncrypterDecrypter' role to the Cloud Storage service account.
Why it's wrong here
This is necessary for the service account to use the key, but it's not an organization policy step.
- ✓
Apply the organization policy at the folder level to cover all projects within that folder.
Why this is correct
Folder-level application ensures inheritance to all child projects.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Disable the 'storage.objects.setIamPolicy' permission for all users except the key administrators.
Why it's wrong here
This does not enforce CMEK encryption.
- ✓
Define a list of allowed Cloud KMS keys using the 'constraints/storage.allowedEncryptionKeys' list constraint.
Why this is correct
This specifies which CMEK keys are permitted.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between organization policy constraints and IAM roles or permissions, so candidates may mistakenly select steps that involve granting roles or modifying IAM permissions instead of focusing solely on the policy constraint configuration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `constraints/storage.requireCustomerManagedEncryption` constraint is a boolean constraint that, when set to `True`, forces all new buckets to have a `default_kms_key_name` set. The `constraints/storage.allowedEncryptionKeys` list constraint further restricts which CMEK keys can be used, allowing only keys from a defined list. Under the hood, these constraints are evaluated at bucket creation time by the Cloud Storage API, and they interact with IAM permissions on the KMS keys to ensure only authorized keys are used.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an organization policy with the constraint 'constraints/storage.requireCustomerManagedEncryption'. — Option A is correct because the `constraints/storage.requireCustomerManagedEncryption` organization policy constraint enforces that all Cloud Storage buckets in the project must use CMEK. When this constraint is applied, any attempt to create a bucket without specifying a CMEK key is denied, ensuring compliance with the encryption requirement.
What should I do if I get this PCSE 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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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