- A
Set the secret's `next_rotation_time` to 60 days from now; no further action needed
Why wrong: Setting the rotation time alone does not rotate; you need a rotation function.
- B
Enable automatic rotation with a 60-day period in Cloud KMS, which will automatically update the secret
Why wrong: Cloud KMS manages encryption keys, not secrets.
- C
Use a cron job on Compute Engine to update the secret every 60 days
Why wrong: Operational overhead is higher, and it's not serverless.
- D
Set the rotation period in Secret Manager to 60 days and configure a Pub/Sub topic to trigger a Cloud Function that generates a new password
This automates rotation with low overhead.
Question 361 of 1,000
PCSE Ensuring Data Protection Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of ensuring data protection. 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 security engineer needs to automatically rotate a database password stored in Secret Manager every 60 days. Which approach meets this requirement with minimal operational overhead?
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
✓
Set the rotation period in Secret Manager to 60 days and configure a Pub/Sub topic to trigger a Cloud Function that generates a new password
Secret Manager supports automatic rotation with a specified rotation period and Pub/Sub notifications. A Cloud Function can listen for the notification and generate a new password, updating the secret version.
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.
- ✗
Set the secret's `next_rotation_time` to 60 days from now; no further action needed
Why it's wrong here
Setting the rotation time alone does not rotate; you need a rotation function.
- ✗
Enable automatic rotation with a 60-day period in Cloud KMS, which will automatically update the secret
Why it's wrong here
Cloud KMS manages encryption keys, not secrets.
- ✗
Use a cron job on Compute Engine to update the secret every 60 days
Why it's wrong here
Operational overhead is higher, and it's not serverless.
- ✓
Set the rotation period in Secret Manager to 60 days and configure a Pub/Sub topic to trigger a Cloud Function that generates a new password
Why this is correct
This automates rotation with low overhead.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCSE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
- →
Ensuring Data Protection — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Ensuring Data Protection — This question tests Ensuring Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the rotation period in Secret Manager to 60 days and configure a Pub/Sub topic to trigger a Cloud Function that generates a new password — Secret Manager supports automatic rotation with a specified rotation period and Pub/Sub notifications. A Cloud Function can listen for the notification and generate a new password, updating the secret version.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Identify which PCSE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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