PCSE Ensuring Data Protection Practice Question
After deleting a Cloud KMS key version, an engineer receives an error when trying to decrypt data that was encrypted with that key version. The key version was deleted 12 hours ago. What is the most likely cause?
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
✓
The key version was destroyed immediately upon deletion because the grace period is configurable.
When a key version is destroyed before the grace period expires, it is destroyed immediately. The default grace period is 24 hours, but if the key version was deleted (not scheduled for destruction), it may have been destroyed immediately. Cloud KMS does not allow recovery after destruction.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The key version was automatically rotated and is no longer the primary.
Why it's wrong here
Rotation does not delete old key versions; they remain usable.
- ✗
The key version is disabled and needs to be re-enabled.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling a key version does not prevent decryption if it was already destroyed.
- ✗
The key version is in a pending destruction state and can be restored within 24 hours.
Why it's wrong here
If it was deleted, it may have been destroyed immediately; the pending destruction state only applies when scheduling destruction.
- ✓
The key version was destroyed immediately upon deletion because the grace period is configurable.
Why this is correct
If the key version was deleted (not scheduled for destruction), it is destroyed immediately. The grace period only applies when scheduling destruction.
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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.