- A
Use Google-managed encryption keys (default).
Why wrong: Default Google-managed keys are controlled by Google, not your security team. You cannot revoke them or audit their use independently.
- B
Configure Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS.
CMEK with Cloud KMS gives your security team full control: key creation, rotation, and revocation (disable/destroy). Disabling the KMS key renders all data encrypted with it inaccessible — cryptographic shredding.
- C
Enable Cloud Storage's built-in server-side encryption with AES-256.
Why wrong: This is Google's default encryption — AES-256 server-side encryption with Google-managed keys. Your team does not control the key.
- D
Use Customer-Supplied Encryption Keys (CSEK) by embedding the key in each API request.
Why wrong: CSEK provides key control but requires your application to supply the key with every API call — operationally complex. CMEK via Cloud KMS is the managed solution for this requirement.
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS. This is correct because CMEK allows your security team to maintain full control over the encryption key used for Cloud Storage objects, and critically, it supports key revocation—when the key is disabled or destroyed in Cloud KMS, all data encrypted with that key becomes immediately inaccessible, fulfilling the requirement for revocable control. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the difference between Google-managed, CMEK, and CSEK (customer-supplied) keys; a common trap is confusing CMEK with CSEK, but remember that CMEK uses Cloud KMS for lifecycle management and revocation, while CSEK requires you to provide the key on every API call and does not support centralized revocation. Memory tip: CMEK = “Cloud-Managed Encryption Keys” where you manage the key’s lifecycle, including revocation, through Cloud KMS.
Google ACE Configuring access and security Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access and security. 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.
A Cloud Storage bucket contains sensitive PII data. You need to ensure that objects in this bucket are encrypted using a key that your security team controls, and that the key can be revoked if needed to render all data inaccessible. Which encryption option should you 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
Configure Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS.
Option B is correct because Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) allow you to control and manage the key used for encrypting Cloud Storage objects via Cloud KMS. This enables key revocation, which immediately renders all data encrypted with that key inaccessible, meeting the security team's requirement for revocable control.
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 Google-managed encryption keys (default).
Why it's wrong here
Default Google-managed keys are controlled by Google, not your security team. You cannot revoke them or audit their use independently.
- ✓
Configure Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS.
Why this is correct
CMEK with Cloud KMS gives your security team full control: key creation, rotation, and revocation (disable/destroy). Disabling the KMS key renders all data encrypted with it inaccessible — cryptographic shredding.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable Cloud Storage's built-in server-side encryption with AES-256.
Why it's wrong here
This is Google's default encryption — AES-256 server-side encryption with Google-managed keys. Your team does not control the key.
- ✗
Use Customer-Supplied Encryption Keys (CSEK) by embedding the key in each API request.
Why it's wrong here
CSEK provides key control but requires your application to supply the key with every API call — operationally complex. CMEK via Cloud KMS is the managed solution for this requirement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between CMEK and CSEK, where candidates mistakenly choose CSEK thinking it gives more control, but CMEK is the only option that supports centralized key revocation without changing API call patterns.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CMEK uses Cloud KMS to wrap a data encryption key (DEK) with a key encryption key (KEK) that you manage. When you disable or destroy the KEK in Cloud KMS, Cloud Storage can no longer unwrap the DEK, making all objects encrypted with that key permanently inaccessible. This is distinct from CSEK, where the key is passed in each request and not stored, so revocation requires stopping all future requests rather than disabling a central key.
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.
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 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 Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) using Cloud KMS. — Option B is correct because Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) allow you to control and manage the key used for encrypting Cloud Storage objects via Cloud KMS. This enables key revocation, which immediately renders all data encrypted with that key inaccessible, meeting the security team's requirement for revocable control.
What should I do if I get this ACE 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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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