PCSE Ensuring Data Protection Practice Question
An organization wants to encrypt data at rest using customer-managed keys on Compute Engine persistent disks. They need to provide the key material with each API call, and Google should never store the key. Which encryption approach 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-supplied encryption keys (CSEK)
Customer-Supplied Encryption Keys (CSEK) allow the customer to provide their own encryption keys, which are used to encrypt data at rest. The keys are provided with each API call and are not stored by Google. CMEK uses Cloud KMS where Google stores the key material (encrypted by HSM). GMEK is Google-managed. Cloud HSM is a service for managing keys but still stores them.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cloud HSM
Why it's wrong here
Cloud HSM is a service for managing keys, but the key material is stored by Google in the HSM.
- ✗
Google-managed encryption keys (GMEK)
Why it's wrong here
GMEK uses Google-owned keys, not customer-supplied.
- ✓
Customer-supplied encryption keys (CSEK)
Why this is correct
CSEK requires the customer to supply the key with each API call and Google never stores it.
- ✗
Customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK)
Why it's wrong here
CMEK uses Cloud KMS; Google stores the key material (encrypted by HSM).
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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.