- A
Customer-supplied encryption keys (CSEK)
Why wrong: CSEK requires supplying keys per API call; rotation is not centrally managed.
- B
Google-managed encryption (GMEK)
Why wrong: GMEK uses keys managed by Google, not the customer.
- C
Customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS
CMEK allows customers to manage and rotate their keys via Cloud KMS.
- D
Cloud HSM
Why wrong: Cloud HSM is a hardware security module; it is used with CMEK or CSEK, not an encryption option by itself.
Question 138 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 ensure that all customer data stored in Cloud Storage is encrypted at rest using keys that the organization manages and rotates themselves. Which encryption option should they use?
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
✓
Customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS
Customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS is the correct choice because it allows the organization to create, manage, and rotate their own encryption keys for Cloud Storage data at rest, while still leveraging Google's infrastructure for encryption. CMEK uses Cloud KMS to wrap the data encryption keys (DEKs) with a customer-managed key encryption key (KEK), ensuring the organization retains control over key lifecycle operations such as rotation, disabling, and destruction, meeting the requirement for self-managed key rotation.
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.
- ✗
Customer-supplied encryption keys (CSEK)
Why it's wrong here
CSEK requires supplying keys per API call; rotation is not centrally managed.
- ✗
Google-managed encryption (GMEK)
Why it's wrong here
GMEK uses keys managed by Google, not the customer.
- ✓
Customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS
Why this is correct
CMEK allows customers to manage and rotate their keys via Cloud KMS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cloud HSM
Why it's wrong here
Cloud HSM is a hardware security module; it is used with CMEK or CSEK, not an encryption option by itself.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google often tests the distinction between CMEK and CSEK, where candidates mistakenly choose CSEK because they think 'customer-supplied' implies full control, but they overlook that CSEK does not support persistent key management or rotation, which is a core requirement in this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CMEK uses envelope encryption where Cloud KMS generates a key encryption key (KEK) stored in Cloud KMS, and Cloud Storage uses that KEK to wrap a data encryption key (DEK) that encrypts the actual object data. The KEK can be rotated via Cloud KMS, and old KEK versions are retained to decrypt existing data, ensuring seamless rotation without re-encrypting all objects. A real-world scenario is a financial institution that must rotate keys every 90 days per compliance policy; CMEK allows them to schedule automatic rotation in Cloud KMS while maintaining access to historical data.
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.
- →
Ensuring Data Protection — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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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: Customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS — Customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS is the correct choice because it allows the organization to create, manage, and rotate their own encryption keys for Cloud Storage data at rest, while still leveraging Google's infrastructure for encryption. CMEK uses Cloud KMS to wrap the data encryption keys (DEKs) with a customer-managed key encryption key (KEK), ensuring the organization retains control over key lifecycle operations such as rotation, disabling, and destruction, meeting the requirement for self-managed key rotation.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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