- A
Use IAM roles to restrict access to cardholder data to the minimum necessary.
Why wrong: While access control is important, it is not specific to transmission encryption.
- B
Encrypt all transmission of cardholder data using TLS 1.2 or higher.
PCI-DSS requirement 4.1 mandates encryption of cardholder data over public networks.
- C
Use Cloud Data Loss Prevention to tokenize all credit card numbers before storage.
Why wrong: Tokenization is a recommendation but not a strict requirement; encryption is required.
- D
Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) such as Cloud Armor to protect against web-based attacks.
PCI-DSS requires a WAF to protect cardholder data.
- E
Enable automatic DLP inspection triggers for all Cloud Storage buckets.
Why wrong: DLP is a security measure but not a PCI-DSS requirement; scanning is not explicitly required.
PCSE Practice Question: Which TWO actions should be taken to ensure that…
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of pcse exam topics. 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.
Which TWO actions should be taken to ensure that a Google Cloud environment meets PCI-DSS requirements for protecting cardholder data? (Choose two.)
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
Encrypt all transmission of cardholder data using TLS 1.2 or higher.
Option B is correct because PCI-DSS Requirement 4 mandates that cardholder data must be encrypted during transmission over open, public networks. TLS 1.2 or higher is the specified protocol, and Google Cloud services such as HTTPS load balancers and Cloud VPN support this encryption natively, ensuring compliance with the transmission security requirement.
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 IAM roles to restrict access to cardholder data to the minimum necessary.
Why it's wrong here
While access control is important, it is not specific to transmission encryption.
- ✓
Encrypt all transmission of cardholder data using TLS 1.2 or higher.
Why this is correct
PCI-DSS requirement 4.1 mandates encryption of cardholder data over public networks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Cloud Data Loss Prevention to tokenize all credit card numbers before storage.
Why it's wrong here
Tokenization is a recommendation but not a strict requirement; encryption is required.
- ✓
Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) such as Cloud Armor to protect against web-based attacks.
Why this is correct
PCI-DSS requires a WAF to protect cardholder data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable automatic DLP inspection triggers for all Cloud Storage buckets.
Why it's wrong here
DLP is a security measure but not a PCI-DSS requirement; scanning is not explicitly required.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between encryption in transit (TLS) and data protection at rest (tokenization, DLP scanning), leading candidates to pick storage-focused options like C or E instead of the transmission encryption requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
TLS 1.2 and 1.3 use cipher suites like TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 to provide forward secrecy and strong encryption. In Google Cloud, you can enforce minimum TLS version on HTTPS load balancers via SSL policies, and Cloud VPN uses IPsec with IKEv2 to encrypt all traffic between on-premises and VPC networks. A real-world scenario is a payment gateway transmitting card numbers from a web app to a backend service; without enforcing TLS 1.2+, the data could be intercepted in transit, violating PCI-DSS Requirement 4.1.
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.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Encrypt all transmission of cardholder data using TLS 1.2 or higher. — Option B is correct because PCI-DSS Requirement 4 mandates that cardholder data must be encrypted during transmission over open, public networks. TLS 1.2 or higher is the specified protocol, and Google Cloud services such as HTTPS load balancers and Cloud VPN support this encryption natively, ensuring compliance with the transmission security requirement.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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.
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