- A
Grant the roles/storage.objectViewer and roles/pubsub.publisher roles to the service account.
These roles provide the exact permissions needed: read objects and publish to Pub/Sub.
- B
Grant the roles/storage.admin and roles/pubsub.admin roles to the service account.
Why wrong: These roles grant full administrative access, which violates least privilege.
- C
Create a custom role with storage.objects.get and pubsub.topics.publish, then grant it to the service account.
Why wrong: While this is also technically correct, it is more work than using predefined roles. However, the answer is not wrong; but the best practice is to use predefined roles when they meet the need. The question asks for 'most secure' which implies least privilege, but both A and D are secure. However, D requires additional management. In exam context, predefined roles are preferred when sufficient.
- D
Grant the roles/editor role to the service account.
Why wrong: Editor provides broad permissions beyond what is needed.
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 are creating a new service account for an application that needs to read from a Cloud Storage bucket and write to Cloud Pub/Sub. What is the most secure way to grant these permissions?
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
Grant the roles/storage.objectViewer and roles/pubsub.publisher roles to the service account.
The principle of least privilege dictates granting only the specific roles needed. The Storage Object Viewer role provides read-only access to objects, and Pub/Sub Publisher allows publishing messages.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 the roles/storage.objectViewer and roles/pubsub.publisher roles to the service account.
Why this is correct
These roles provide the exact permissions needed: read objects and publish to Pub/Sub.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
- ✗
Grant the roles/storage.admin and roles/pubsub.admin roles to the service account.
Why it's wrong here
These roles grant full administrative access, which violates least privilege.
- ✗
Create a custom role with storage.objects.get and pubsub.topics.publish, then grant it to the service account.
Why it's wrong here
While this is also technically correct, it is more work than using predefined roles. However, the answer is not wrong; but the best practice is to use predefined roles when they meet the need. The question asks for 'most secure' which implies least privilege, but both A and D are secure. However, D requires additional management. In exam context, predefined roles are preferred when sufficient.
- ✗
Grant the roles/editor role to the service account.
Why it's wrong here
Editor provides broad permissions beyond what is needed.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related ACE questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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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 — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Grant the roles/storage.objectViewer and roles/pubsub.publisher roles to the service account. — The principle of least privilege dictates granting only the specific roles needed. The Storage Object Viewer role provides read-only access to objects, and Pub/Sub Publisher allows publishing messages.
What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related ACE questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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