- A
Use the built-in constraint constraints/iam.disableServiceAccountKeyCreation and write a custom organization policy to enforce key rotation (max age 90 days).
Why wrong: Option A is incorrect. The built-in constraint prevents creation of new keys, and a custom policy can enforce rotation only on newly created keys, but no mechanism in Option A blocks or disables existing keys older than 90 days. The requirement explicitly includes blocking existing keys, which this option does not achieve.
- B
Use a deny policy to deny the permission iam.serviceAccountKeys.create and another deny policy to deny use of keys older than 90 days.
Option B is correct. Deny policies can be applied at the organization level to deny the permission iam.serviceAccountKeys.create, preventing creation of new keys. Additionally, a deny policy with a condition on key age can deny permissions to use existing keys older than 90 days, effectively blocking them.
- C
Use a custom organization policy constraint to disable key creation and another custom constraint to delete keys older than 90 days.
Why wrong: Option C is incorrect. Custom constraints can only evaluate conditions during resource creation or update; they cannot trigger deletion of existing resources. Therefore, they cannot delete existing keys older than 90 days.
- D
Use a VPC Service Controls perimeter to block access to the IAM API for creating keys.
Why wrong: Option D is incorrect. VPC Service Controls restrict network access but do not prevent key creation through other means (e.g., via console or API from allowed networks) and do not address existing keys.
PCSE Practice Question: Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access within a cloud solution environment. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 prevent creation of long-lived service account keys across all projects in an organization. The solution should also block any existing keys older than 90 days. Which approach meets these requirements?
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 deny policy to deny the permission iam.serviceAccountKeys.create and another deny policy to deny use of keys older than 90 days.
Option B is correct because deny policies can be used to prevent creation of new service account keys (by denying iam.serviceAccountKeys.create) and to block use of existing keys older than 90 days (by denying permissions like iam.serviceAccountKeys.signBlob with a condition on key age). This directly addresses both requirements: prevention of new long-lived keys and disabling existing keys older than 90 days. Option A only prevents creation of new keys via the built-in constraint but does not affect existing keys; while a custom policy can enforce key rotation on new keys, it cannot block or disable keys that already exist. Option C fails because custom constraints cannot delete existing resources. Option D does not block key creation via all methods and does not address existing keys.
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.
- ✗
Use the built-in constraint constraints/iam.disableServiceAccountKeyCreation and write a custom organization policy to enforce key rotation (max age 90 days).
Why it's wrong here
Option A is incorrect. The built-in constraint prevents creation of new keys, and a custom policy can enforce rotation only on newly created keys, but no mechanism in Option A blocks or disables existing keys older than 90 days. The requirement explicitly includes blocking existing keys, which this option does not achieve.
- ✓
Use a deny policy to deny the permission iam.serviceAccountKeys.create and another deny policy to deny use of keys older than 90 days.
Why this is correct
Option B is correct. Deny policies can be applied at the organization level to deny the permission iam.serviceAccountKeys.create, preventing creation of new keys. Additionally, a deny policy with a condition on key age can deny permissions to use existing keys older than 90 days, effectively blocking them.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a custom organization policy constraint to disable key creation and another custom constraint to delete keys older than 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
Option C is incorrect. Custom constraints can only evaluate conditions during resource creation or update; they cannot trigger deletion of existing resources. Therefore, they cannot delete existing keys older than 90 days.
- ✗
Use a VPC Service Controls perimeter to block access to the IAM API for creating keys.
Why it's wrong here
Option D is incorrect. VPC Service Controls restrict network access but do not prevent key creation through other means (e.g., via console or API from allowed networks) and do not address existing keys.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that custom organization policies can delete existing resources, when in reality they only enforce conditions on new resource creation or updates, not retroactive actions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `constraints/iam.disableServiceAccountKeyCreation` is a list constraint that, when set to `All`, blocks all service account key creation. The custom policy uses the `resource.serviceAccountKey.expireTime` attribute with a `duration(90d)` condition to reject keys with a lifetime exceeding 90 days, leveraging the IAM key expiration feature introduced in 2020. This approach ensures that any attempt to create a key with a longer lifetime is denied at the API level, and existing keys older than 90 days are effectively blocked because they cannot be used without being recreated with a valid expiration.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment — This question tests Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a deny policy to deny the permission iam.serviceAccountKeys.create and another deny policy to deny use of keys older than 90 days. — Option B is correct because deny policies can be used to prevent creation of new service account keys (by denying iam.serviceAccountKeys.create) and to block use of existing keys older than 90 days (by denying permissions like iam.serviceAccountKeys.signBlob with a condition on key age). This directly addresses both requirements: prevention of new long-lived keys and disabling existing keys older than 90 days. Option A only prevents creation of new keys via the built-in constraint but does not affect existing keys; while a custom policy can enforce key rotation on new keys, it cannot block or disable keys that already exist. Option C fails because custom constraints cannot delete existing resources. Option D does not block key creation via all methods and does not address existing keys.
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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