← ACE·Google Cloud

Question 52 of 500

Configuring access and security →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is Secret Manager, referenced as a mounted secret or accessed via the API at runtime. This is correct because Secret Manager is the GCP-native service that provides encryption at rest and in transit, fine-grained IAM access control, and avoids exposing secrets in plain text, configuration files, or container images—directly aligning with Google Cloud security best practices for Cloud Run. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this tests your understanding of secure secret handling in serverless environments; a common trap is choosing environment variables or Cloud Storage, which lack the same audit logging and access controls. Remember the mnemonic “Secrets stay in Secret Manager, not in the container” to avoid storing passwords in image layers or config maps.

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.

A Cloud Run service needs to access a database password at runtime. Where should the password be stored according to GCP security best practices?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
As a plain-text environment variable in the Cloud Run service configuration
Why wrong: Environment variables in Cloud Run configuration are visible in the Cloud Console and not encrypted — this exposes the password to anyone with Console access.
B
In a Cloud Storage bucket accessible to the service account
Why wrong: Cloud Storage stores objects but isn't designed for secrets — it lacks versioning for secrets, automatic rotation, and dedicated secrets-management IAM controls.
C
In Secret Manager, referenced as a mounted secret or accessed via the API at runtime
Secret Manager stores secrets encrypted, with IAM access control and full audit trails. Cloud Run can reference secrets as environment variables or volume mounts without exposing the value in configuration.
D
Baked into the container image at build time
Why wrong: Including secrets in container images is a critical anti-pattern — images are often stored in registries that are more widely accessible, permanently exposing the secret.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

In Secret Manager, referenced as a mounted secret or accessed via the API at runtime

Secret Manager is the GCP-native service designed to securely store sensitive data like database passwords. It provides encryption at rest and in transit, fine-grained access control via IAM, and supports both mounting secrets as volumes and accessing them via the API at runtime. This aligns with GCP security best practices by avoiding exposure of secrets in plain text, configuration files, or container images.

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.

✗
As a plain-text environment variable in the Cloud Run service configuration
Why it's wrong here
Environment variables in Cloud Run configuration are visible in the Cloud Console and not encrypted — this exposes the password to anyone with Console access.
✗
In a Cloud Storage bucket accessible to the service account
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Storage stores objects but isn't designed for secrets — it lacks versioning for secrets, automatic rotation, and dedicated secrets-management IAM controls.
✓
In Secret Manager, referenced as a mounted secret or accessed via the API at runtime
Why this is correct
Secret Manager stores secrets encrypted, with IAM access control and full audit trails. Cloud Run can reference secrets as environment variables or volume mounts without exposing the value in configuration.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Baked into the container image at build time
Why it's wrong here
Including secrets in container images is a critical anti-pattern — images are often stored in registries that are more widely accessible, permanently exposing the secret.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Google Cloud often tests the misconception that environment variables are secure for secrets because they are not visible in the source code, but the trap here is that environment variables are still exposed in the runtime environment and logs, making them insecure for sensitive data.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, Secret Manager integrates with Cloud Run via the 'secret' volume mount type, which exposes the secret as a file in the container's filesystem at a specified mount path, or via the Secret Manager API using the Google Cloud client libraries. A subtle behavior is that when using volume mounts, the secret is updated automatically if the secret version changes, but the container must be restarted to pick up the new value; for dynamic updates, the API must be called at runtime. In a real-world scenario, if the database password is rotated, using Secret Manager allows you to update the secret version without rebuilding the container or redeploying the service, minimizing downtime.

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.

Related ACE practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Setting up a cloud solution environment practice questions

Practise ACE questions linked to Setting up a cloud solution environment.

Planning and configuring a cloud solution practice questions

Practise ACE questions linked to Planning and configuring a cloud solution.

Deploying and implementing a cloud solution practice questions

Practise ACE questions linked to Deploying and implementing a cloud solution.

Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution practice questions

Practise ACE questions linked to Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution.

Configuring access and security practice questions

Practise ACE questions linked to Configuring access and security.

ACE fundamentals practice questions

Practise ACE questions linked to ACE fundamentals.

ACE scenario practice questions

Practise ACE questions linked to ACE scenario.

ACE troubleshooting practice questions

Practise ACE questions linked to ACE troubleshooting.

Practice this exam

Start a free ACE practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions 20 questions 30 questions 50 questions Timed 30

ACE practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

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: In Secret Manager, referenced as a mounted secret or accessed via the API at runtime — Secret Manager is the GCP-native service designed to securely store sensitive data like database passwords. It provides encryption at rest and in transit, fine-grained access control via IAM, and supports both mounting secrets as volumes and accessing them via the API at runtime. This aligns with GCP security best practices by avoiding exposure of secrets in plain text, configuration files, or container images.

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.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

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 →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

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.