- A
Security Command Center — it audits service account key age automatically
Why wrong: SCC can detect some IAM misconfigurations but doesn't natively report on service account key age across all projects. Cloud Asset Inventory is more direct.
- B
Cloud Asset Inventory querying all IAM ServiceAccountKey assets across the organization
Cloud Asset Inventory's `gcloud asset search-all-resources --asset-types=iam.googleapis.com/ServiceAccountKey` returns all SA keys with creation timestamps — enabling age-based filtering.
- C
Cloud Monitoring metric for service account key creation date
Why wrong: Cloud Monitoring doesn't expose service account key creation dates as metrics — key metadata is accessible via the IAM API or Cloud Asset Inventory.
- D
Manually check each service account in each project's IAM & Admin > Service Accounts page
Why wrong: Manual checking across multiple projects in an organization is impractical. Cloud Asset Inventory provides programmatic, organization-wide key enumeration.
Quick Answer
The answer is Cloud Asset Inventory, which is the correct tool to find old service account keys across projects because it provides a unified view of all IAM ServiceAccountKey assets across the entire organization, allowing you to query by the `validAfterTime` field to identify keys older than 90 days without inspecting each project individually. This capability directly addresses the CISO’s requirement for a comprehensive, automated inventory after a credential theft incident, as Cloud Asset Inventory can scan all projects in a single API call or `gcloud` command. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this tests your understanding of how to perform organization-wide security audits efficiently, and a common trap is reaching for per-project tools like `gcloud iam service-accounts keys list` or IAM Recommender, which lack cross-project scope. Remember the memory tip: “CAI catches all keys across the sky”—Cloud Asset Inventory is the only service that inventories assets organization-wide, making it the go-to for rotating stale credentials.
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 GCP organization has recently experienced a credential theft incident involving a service account key. The CISO requires that all service account keys in the organization be inventoried and those older than 90 days be rotated. Which tool identifies old service account keys across all projects?
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
Cloud Asset Inventory querying all IAM ServiceAccountKey assets across the organization
Cloud Asset Inventory (CAI) is the correct tool because it can query all IAM ServiceAccountKey assets across the entire organization, including all projects, using a single API call or gcloud command. This allows you to filter by the `validAfterTime` field to identify keys older than 90 days, meeting the CISO's requirement for a comprehensive, automated inventory without manual per-project inspection.
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.
- ✗
Security Command Center — it audits service account key age automatically
Why it's wrong here
SCC can detect some IAM misconfigurations but doesn't natively report on service account key age across all projects. Cloud Asset Inventory is more direct.
- ✓
Cloud Asset Inventory querying all IAM ServiceAccountKey assets across the organization
Why this is correct
Cloud Asset Inventory's `gcloud asset search-all-resources --asset-types=iam.googleapis.com/ServiceAccountKey` returns all SA keys with creation timestamps — enabling age-based filtering.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cloud Monitoring metric for service account key creation date
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Monitoring doesn't expose service account key creation dates as metrics — key metadata is accessible via the IAM API or Cloud Asset Inventory.
- ✗
Manually check each service account in each project's IAM & Admin > Service Accounts page
Why it's wrong here
Manual checking across multiple projects in an organization is impractical. Cloud Asset Inventory provides programmatic, organization-wide key enumeration.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that Security Command Center handles IAM key lifecycle audits, when in fact Cloud Asset Inventory is the correct service for querying metadata like key creation dates across all projects.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Asset Inventory uses the `asset_types` filter `iam.googleapis.com/ServiceAccountKey` and the `content_type` parameter `RESOURCE` to return the `validAfterTime` field, which represents the key creation timestamp. Under the hood, CAI maintains a near-real-time snapshot of all IAM resources across the organization, enabling cross-project queries without needing project-level permissions individually. A real-world scenario: a security team can run `gcloud asset search-all-resources --scope=organizations/ORG_ID --asset-types=iam.googleapis.com/ServiceAccountKey --query='validAfterTime < -P90D'` to instantly list all keys older than 90 days.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: Cloud Asset Inventory querying all IAM ServiceAccountKey assets across the organization — Cloud Asset Inventory (CAI) is the correct tool because it can query all IAM ServiceAccountKey assets across the entire organization, including all projects, using a single API call or gcloud command. This allows you to filter by the `validAfterTime` field to identify keys older than 90 days, meeting the CISO's requirement for a comprehensive, automated inventory without manual per-project inspection.
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.
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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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