- A
Configure the Cloud Storage bucket with a retention policy and enable object versioning
Ensures immutability and prevents deletion.
- B
Enable Data Access audit logs for the relevant services in the project's IAM audit config
Required to capture Data Access logs.
- C
Use the default Logging retention of 30 days
Why wrong: Default retention is insufficient for 5 years.
- D
Set up a Cloud Monitoring alert for any Data Access log entries
Why wrong: Monitoring alerts do not provide long-term log storage or immutability.
- E
Create a log sink to export logs to a Cloud Storage bucket
Necessary for long-term retention beyond Logging's default.
Question 353 of 1,000
Google ACE Configuring Access and Security Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access and security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An engineer needs to audit all Data Access logs for a project to detect unauthorized access to sensitive data. The engineer must ensure that logs are retained for 5 years and are immutable. Which THREE steps should the engineer take?
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
✓
Configure the Cloud Storage bucket with a retention policy and enable object versioning
To achieve this, the engineer must: 1. Enable Data Access audit logs for the required services (e.g., Cloud Storage, BigQuery) in the project's IAM audit config. 2. Create a log sink that exports the logs to a Cloud Storage bucket (which provides cost-effective long-term retention). 3. Configure the bucket with retention policy and object versioning to make logs immutable and protect against deletion. Using Logging's default retention is only 30 days, not 5 years. Cloud Monitoring does not store logs. BigQuery is not ideal for immutable storage.
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.
- ✓
Configure the Cloud Storage bucket with a retention policy and enable object versioning
Why this is correct
Ensures immutability and prevents deletion.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Enable Data Access audit logs for the relevant services in the project's IAM audit config
Why this is correct
Required to capture Data Access logs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use the default Logging retention of 30 days
Why it's wrong here
Default retention is insufficient for 5 years.
- ✗
Set up a Cloud Monitoring alert for any Data Access log entries
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring alerts do not provide long-term log storage or immutability.
- ✓
Create a log sink to export logs to a Cloud Storage bucket
Why this is correct
Necessary for long-term retention beyond Logging's default.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which ACE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Configuring Access and Security — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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Configuring Access and Security practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Configuring Access and Security — This question tests Configuring Access and Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the Cloud Storage bucket with a retention policy and enable object versioning — To achieve this, the engineer must: 1. Enable Data Access audit logs for the required services (e.g., Cloud Storage, BigQuery) in the project's IAM audit config. 2. Create a log sink that exports the logs to a Cloud Storage bucket (which provides cost-effective long-term retention). 3. Configure the bucket with retention policy and object versioning to make logs immutable and protect against deletion. Using Logging's default retention is only 30 days, not 5 years. Cloud Monitoring does not store logs. BigQuery is not ideal for immutable storage.
What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?
Identify which ACE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This ACE 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 ACE exam.
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