PCSE Ensuring Data Protection Practice Question
A security engineer accidentally deleted a Cloud KMS key version. The key version is in the state DESTROY_SCHEDULED. How long does the engineer have to cancel the destruction before the key material is permanently destroyed?
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
✓
24 hours
When a key version is scheduled for destruction, it enters a pending destruction grace period. The default grace period is 24 hours, during which the destruction can be canceled. After that, the key material is destroyed and unrecoverable.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
30 days
Why it's wrong here
30 days is not the default; it's configurable but default is 24h.
- ✓
24 hours
Why this is correct
The default pending destruction period is 24 hours.
- ✗
Immediate destruction, no grace period
Why it's wrong here
There is a grace period of 24 hours by default.
- ✗
7 days
Why it's wrong here
The default grace period is 24 hours, not 7 days.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.