- A
VPC Service Controls
VPC Service Controls defines a security perimeter around BigQuery and Cloud Storage, restricting access to only a specific VPC network, which is essential for limiting access to encryption keys.
- B
Cloud HSM
Cloud HSM provides hardware-backed key storage, which is often required for compliance when using customer-managed keys in BigQuery and Cloud Storage.
- C
Cloud KMS with a customer-managed key
Cloud KMS with a customer-managed key allows you to encrypt data at rest in BigQuery and Cloud Storage using your own keys.
- D
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why wrong: Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) is used for access control to applications, not for encrypting data or restricting network access to encryption keys.
- E
Cloud Armor
Why wrong: Cloud Armor is a DDoS protection service and does not encrypt data or restrict access to encryption keys.
PDE Storing the Data Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of storing the data. 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 company stores sensitive data in BigQuery and Cloud Storage. They must encrypt data with customer-managed keys and restrict access to the encryption keys to only a specific VPC network. Which THREE components should they configure? (Choose 3)
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
VPC Service Controls
VPC Service Controls (A) is correct because it allows you to define a security perimeter around BigQuery and Cloud Storage, restricting access to these services from only a specific VPC network. This ensures that even if an attacker obtains valid credentials, they cannot access the data from outside the authorized VPC, which is essential for limiting encryption key access to the designated network. Cloud HSM (B) is correct because it provides Hardware Security Module-backed key storage, which is often required for compliance when using customer-managed keys. Cloud KMS with a customer-managed key (C) is correct because it enables you to use your own encryption keys to protect data at rest in BigQuery and Cloud Storage. By combining Cloud HSM and CMEK with VPC Service Controls, you can both encrypt data with your own keys and restrict access to those keys to a specific VPC network.
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.
- ✓
VPC Service Controls
Why this is correct
VPC Service Controls defines a security perimeter around BigQuery and Cloud Storage, restricting access to only a specific VPC network, which is essential for limiting access to encryption keys.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Cloud HSM
Why this is correct
Cloud HSM provides hardware-backed key storage, which is often required for compliance when using customer-managed keys in BigQuery and Cloud Storage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Cloud KMS with a customer-managed key
Why this is correct
Cloud KMS with a customer-managed key allows you to encrypt data at rest in BigQuery and Cloud Storage using your own keys.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why it's wrong here
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) is used for access control to applications, not for encrypting data or restricting network access to encryption keys.
- ✗
Cloud Armor
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Armor is a DDoS protection service and does not encrypt data or restrict access to encryption keys.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common misconception is that Cloud HSM alone provides network-level access control, when in fact it is a key management backend that must be combined with VPC Service Controls to restrict key access to a specific VPC network.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPC Service Controls works by creating service perimeters that use context-aware access policies, leveraging the Access Context Manager to enforce restrictions based on attributes like VPC network, IP ranges, and device identity. Under the hood, it intercepts API calls to Google Cloud services and denies requests that originate from outside the defined perimeter, even if the caller has valid IAM permissions. In a real-world scenario, this prevents data exfiltration by blocking access from on-premises networks or the public internet, ensuring that only compute instances within the authorized VPC can interact with the encrypted data and its associated Cloud KMS keys.
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 PDE question test?
Storing the Data — This question tests Storing the Data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: VPC Service Controls — VPC Service Controls (A) is correct because it allows you to define a security perimeter around BigQuery and Cloud Storage, restricting access to these services from only a specific VPC network. This ensures that even if an attacker obtains valid credentials, they cannot access the data from outside the authorized VPC, which is essential for limiting encryption key access to the designated network. Cloud HSM (B) is correct because it provides Hardware Security Module-backed key storage, which is often required for compliance when using customer-managed keys. Cloud KMS with a customer-managed key (C) is correct because it enables you to use your own encryption keys to protect data at rest in BigQuery and Cloud Storage. By combining Cloud HSM and CMEK with VPC Service Controls, you can both encrypt data with your own keys and restrict access to those keys to a specific VPC network.
What should I do if I get this PDE 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: Jul 4, 2026
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