- A
Create a GCP service account for the vendor and share the key JSON file.
Why wrong: Sharing a service account key grants permanent access and requires GCP account management. Signed URLs are purpose-built for this temporary, external access pattern.
- B
Generate a Signed URL with a 24-hour expiration for the specific bucket path.
Signed URLs provide authenticated, time-limited, no-account-required access to Cloud Storage. The vendor can upload directly using the URL until expiration.
- C
Make the Cloud Storage bucket publicly writable and share the bucket URL.
Why wrong: Making a bucket publicly writable exposes it to anyone on the internet, not just the vendor — a significant security risk.
- D
Add the vendor's email to the bucket's IAM policy with Storage Object Creator role.
Why wrong: This requires the vendor to have a Google account and grants persistent access. Signed URLs are the right solution for temporary external access without account requirements.
Quick Answer
The answer is to generate a signed URL with a 24-hour expiration for the specific bucket path. This mechanism is correct because a signed URL provides time-limited, permissionless access to a specific Cloud Storage object or upload path by embedding cryptographic authentication from a service account key directly into the URL, eliminating the need for the vendor to have a GCP identity. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to grant temporary, scoped access to external users without creating IAM accounts, and a common trap is confusing signed URLs with pre-signed URLs from other clouds or assuming a service account must be shared. Remember the key distinction: signed URLs are for time-limited, identity-free access, while IAM is for persistent permissions. A helpful memory tip is “sign it, then time it”—the signature grants access, and the expiration parameter controls the window.
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.
You want to allow a vendor to upload files to a specific Cloud Storage bucket in your project without creating a GCP account for them. The upload URL should expire after 24 hours. Which mechanism 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
Generate a Signed URL with a 24-hour expiration for the specific bucket path.
Option B is correct because a signed URL allows time-limited, permissionless access to a specific Cloud Storage object or bucket path without requiring a GCP identity. The URL is cryptographically signed using a service account key, and the 24-hour expiration is set via the `expires` parameter. This meets the requirement of allowing the vendor to upload files without creating a GCP account.
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.
- ✗
Create a GCP service account for the vendor and share the key JSON file.
Why it's wrong here
Sharing a service account key grants permanent access and requires GCP account management. Signed URLs are purpose-built for this temporary, external access pattern.
- ✓
Generate a Signed URL with a 24-hour expiration for the specific bucket path.
Why this is correct
Signed URLs provide authenticated, time-limited, no-account-required access to Cloud Storage. The vendor can upload directly using the URL until expiration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Make the Cloud Storage bucket publicly writable and share the bucket URL.
Why it's wrong here
Making a bucket publicly writable exposes it to anyone on the internet, not just the vendor — a significant security risk.
- ✗
Add the vendor's email to the bucket's IAM policy with Storage Object Creator role.
Why it's wrong here
This requires the vendor to have a Google account and grants persistent access. Signed URLs are the right solution for temporary external access without account requirements.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between identity-based access (IAM) and resource-based access (signed URLs), and the trap here is that candidates may confuse adding an email to IAM (which still requires a Google identity) with the truly identity-free, time-limited access provided by a signed URL.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A signed URL is generated using a service account's private key to create a cryptographic signature (HMAC-SHA256) over the HTTP verb, resource path, and expiration time. The URL includes the signature, the service account email, and the expiration timestamp, allowing Cloud Storage to verify the request without requiring the uploader to have any GCP credentials. In practice, signed URLs are commonly used for temporary uploads from external partners, such as a vendor submitting log files or media assets, where the bucket remains private and access is tightly scoped.
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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Configuring access and security — study guide chapter
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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: Generate a Signed URL with a 24-hour expiration for the specific bucket path. — Option B is correct because a signed URL allows time-limited, permissionless access to a specific Cloud Storage object or bucket path without requiring a GCP identity. The URL is cryptographically signed using a service account key, and the 24-hour expiration is set via the `expires` parameter. This meets the requirement of allowing the vendor to upload files without creating a GCP account.
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
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