- A
Grant IAM deny policies that prevent the `compute.firewalls.create` permission across the organization.
Why wrong: Removing the ability to create any firewall rule is too restrictive — it prevents legitimate firewall management, not just the specific 0.0.0.0/0 pattern.
- B
Apply a hierarchical firewall policy at the organization level with a deny rule for ingress from 0.0.0.0/0, set to take precedence over project rules.
Hierarchical firewall policies at the org level can deny specific traffic patterns before project-level rules are evaluated. A deny rule for 0.0.0.0/0 ingress blocks this traffic organization-wide regardless of project-level firewall rules.
- C
Use Security Command Center to detect and alert when 0.0.0.0/0 firewall rules are created.
Why wrong: SCC detects and alerts on violations but doesn't prevent them. The question asks for prevention.
- D
Set the `compute.skipDefaultNetworkCreation` org policy constraint across the organization.
Why wrong: This prevents the default network from being created in new projects but does not restrict custom firewall rule creation or 0.0.0.0/0 rules.
Quick Answer
The correct approach is to apply a hierarchical firewall policy at the organization level with a deny rule for ingress from 0.0.0.0/0, set to take precedence over project rules. This works because hierarchical firewall policies are evaluated before any project-level VPC firewall rules, and by assigning a lower priority number (higher precedence) to the deny rule, you ensure that no user or service account can override it by creating permissive ingress rules in individual projects. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of centralized security controls versus decentralized IAM management—a common trap is thinking you need to modify IAM roles per project, which is inefficient and error-prone. The key insight is that hierarchical policies enforce a global baseline without touching project-level permissions. Memory tip: think of the hierarchy as a “security blanket” that covers your entire org—once you deny 0.0.0.0/0 at the top, no project can poke a hole through it.
Google ACE Configuring access and security Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access and security. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Your security team wants to prevent any user or service account from creating firewall rules that allow ingress from `0.0.0.0/0` (the internet) to any VM in your organization. Which approach enforces this without requiring per-project IAM changes?
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
Apply a hierarchical firewall policy at the organization level with a deny rule for ingress from 0.0.0.0/0, set to take precedence over project rules.
Option B is correct because hierarchical firewall policies at the organization level can include a deny rule for ingress from `0.0.0.0/0` with a priority that takes precedence over any project-level firewall rules. This enforces the restriction globally without requiring per-project IAM changes, as the policy is inherited by all projects in the organization.
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.
- ✗
Grant IAM deny policies that prevent the `compute.firewalls.create` permission across the organization.
Why it's wrong here
Removing the ability to create any firewall rule is too restrictive — it prevents legitimate firewall management, not just the specific 0.0.0.0/0 pattern.
- ✓
Apply a hierarchical firewall policy at the organization level with a deny rule for ingress from 0.0.0.0/0, set to take precedence over project rules.
Why this is correct
Hierarchical firewall policies at the org level can deny specific traffic patterns before project-level rules are evaluated. A deny rule for 0.0.0.0/0 ingress blocks this traffic organization-wide regardless of project-level firewall rules.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Security Command Center to detect and alert when 0.0.0.0/0 firewall rules are created.
Why it's wrong here
SCC detects and alerts on violations but doesn't prevent them. The question asks for prevention.
- ✗
Set the `compute.skipDefaultNetworkCreation` org policy constraint across the organization.
Why it's wrong here
This prevents the default network from being created in new projects but does not restrict custom firewall rule creation or 0.0.0.0/0 rules.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between preventive controls (like hierarchical firewall policies) and detective controls (like Security Command Center alerts), leading candidates to choose a detection-based option when the question explicitly asks for enforcement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Hierarchical firewall policies in Google Cloud are evaluated before VPC firewall rules and can be applied at the organization, folder, or project level. They use a priority system (lower numbers = higher priority) and can include both allow and deny rules, with deny rules taking precedence over allow rules by default. This allows security teams to enforce a 'deny all ingress from 0.0.0.0/0' rule at the organization level, which cannot be overridden by project-level rules, ensuring consistent security posture across all VPCs.
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: Apply a hierarchical firewall policy at the organization level with a deny rule for ingress from 0.0.0.0/0, set to take precedence over project rules. — Option B is correct because hierarchical firewall policies at the organization level can include a deny rule for ingress from `0.0.0.0/0` with a priority that takes precedence over any project-level firewall rules. This enforces the restriction globally without requiring per-project IAM changes, as the policy is inherited by all projects in the organization.
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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