PCSE Practice Question: Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment
A security engineer needs to ensure that service account keys are not used in production workloads. They want to enforce this across the entire organization. Which TWO controls should they implement?
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
✓
Use a custom organization policy constraint to enforce service account key rotation (max age 90 days)
The built-in organization policy constraint constraints/iam.disableServiceAccountKeyCreation prevents creation of new keys. A custom organization policy can enforce key rotation and disable use of existing keys older than a certain age.
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 a custom organization policy constraint to enforce service account key rotation (max age 90 days)
Why this is correct
A custom constraint can enforce rotation and prevent use of old keys.
- ✗
Use VPC Service Controls to restrict the IAM API
Why it's wrong here
VPC SC does not control IAM key creation.
- ✓
Use the built-in constraint constraints/iam.disableServiceAccountKeyCreation
Why this is correct
This disables creation of new service account keys.
- ✗
Use a deny policy to deny the permission iam.serviceAccountKeys.create
Why it's wrong here
Deny policies can block creation but not existing keys or rotation.
- ✗
Use IAM roles to remove the ability to generate keys for all users
Why it's wrong here
This only applies to users, not to service accounts themselves.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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