- A
Remove the committed file from Git history using `git filter-branch` or BFG Repo Cleaner.
Why wrong: Cleaning Git history is important for preventing future exposure but doesn't revoke the already-exposed key. Active exploitation may be occurring while you clean history.
- B
Immediately delete or disable the service account key in the Cloud Console or via gcloud.
Revoking the key immediately stops any ongoing or future unauthorized use. This is the highest-priority action — stop the bleeding first, then investigate.
- C
Make the GitHub repository private to hide the exposed key.
Why wrong: Making the repo private doesn't revoke the key — it may have already been crawled by scanners. The key remains valid until explicitly revoked.
- D
Reduce the service account's permissions to limit the blast radius.
Why wrong: Reducing permissions limits damage but the key is still valid and usable. Revoking the key is the correct first action.
Quick Answer
The correct first step is to immediately delete or disable the service account key in the Cloud Console or via the gcloud command. This action revokes the exposed credential, preventing any attacker who discovered the leaked key from authenticating to Google Cloud APIs and abusing the broad Editor permissions. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of incident response fundamentals: containment must come before investigation or rotation of broader access. A common trap is to waste time rotating the entire service account or notifying stakeholders, but the priority is invalidating the specific leaked key. Remember the memory tip: “Delete the key, not the account—stop the leak, then investigate.”
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.
A developer accidentally committed a service account key JSON file to a public GitHub repository. The key was valid for a service account with broad Editor permissions. What should you do FIRST?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
Immediately delete or disable the service account key in the Cloud Console or via gcloud.
Option B is correct because the immediate priority is to revoke the exposed credential to prevent unauthorized access. Deleting or disabling the service account key in the Cloud Console or via `gcloud iam service-accounts keys delete` ensures the key is invalidated within minutes, stopping any attacker from using it to authenticate with Google Cloud APIs. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and incident response best practices: contain the breach before remediation.
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.
- ✗
Remove the committed file from Git history using `git filter-branch` or BFG Repo Cleaner.
Why it's wrong here
Cleaning Git history is important for preventing future exposure but doesn't revoke the already-exposed key. Active exploitation may be occurring while you clean history.
- ✓
Immediately delete or disable the service account key in the Cloud Console or via gcloud.
Why this is correct
Revoking the key immediately stops any ongoing or future unauthorized use. This is the highest-priority action — stop the bleeding first, then investigate.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Make the GitHub repository private to hide the exposed key.
Why it's wrong here
Making the repo private doesn't revoke the key — it may have already been crawled by scanners. The key remains valid until explicitly revoked.
- ✗
Reduce the service account's permissions to limit the blast radius.
Why it's wrong here
Reducing permissions limits damage but the key is still valid and usable. Revoking the key is the correct first action.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that removing the file from Git history (Option A) is sufficient, but the key remains valid and usable by anyone who already has it, so revocation must come first.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Service account keys are long-lived credentials that authenticate via OAuth 2.0; once exposed, they can be used to generate access tokens until explicitly revoked. Google Cloud IAM does not automatically invalidate keys when permissions are changed, so reducing roles (Option D) would not affect existing tokens or active sessions. In a real-world scenario, an attacker could use the key to create additional resources or exfiltrate data within minutes, making immediate key deletion the only effective first step.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Configuring access and security — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the 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: Immediately delete or disable the service account key in the Cloud Console or via gcloud. — Option B is correct because the immediate priority is to revoke the exposed credential to prevent unauthorized access. Deleting or disabling the service account key in the Cloud Console or via `gcloud iam service-accounts keys delete` ensures the key is invalidated within minutes, stopping any attacker from using it to authenticate with Google Cloud APIs. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and incident response best practices: contain the breach before remediation.
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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on ACE
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A security team discovers that a service account key was accidentally committed to a public GitHub repository 48 hours ago. What should be the immediate steps to remediate this incident?
hard- A.Rotate the service account key to generate a new one, keeping the old key active briefly for transition
- ✓ B.Delete the leaked key immediately, audit Cloud Audit Logs for unauthorized activity using the key, then create a new key or switch to keyless authentication
- C.Change the service account's display name and email to invalidate the leaked key
- D.Remove all IAM roles from the service account to deny all actions until the investigation completes
Why B: Option B is correct because the immediate priority is to revoke the compromised key's access by deleting it, which invalidates it instantly. Auditing Cloud Audit Logs is essential to detect any unauthorized usage that occurred during the 48-hour exposure window. Finally, creating a new key or switching to keyless authentication (e.g., workload identity federation) restores secure access without relying on long-lived static credentials.
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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