- A
Grant the roles/editor role to the service account at the project level
Why wrong: This grants broad edit permissions across the project.
- B
Grant the roles/pubsub.subscriber role to the service account at the topic level
Why wrong: This grants subscribe permission, not publish.
- C
Grant the roles/pubsub.publisher role to the service account at the topic level
This restricts the permission to only the specified topic.
- D
Grant the roles/pubsub.publisher role to the service account at the project level
Why wrong: This grants publish access to all topics in the project, violating least privilege.
Question 928 of 1,000
Cloud Digital Leader Google Cloud Security Practice Question
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of google cloud 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 company wants to enforce the principle of least privilege by granting a service account only the permissions necessary to publish messages to a specific Pub/Sub topic. Which IAM approach should they use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
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/pubsub.publisher role to the service account at the topic level
IAM allows granting roles at specific resource levels. To grant only publish permission on a specific topic, you should add the service account as a member and assign the Pub/Sub Publisher role (roles/pubsub.publisher) directly on that topic. Granting the role at the project level would give too broad access. Using a custom role with only the required permission is also correct but more complex; however, the simplest correct approach among the options is to assign a predefined role at the topic level.
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/editor role to the service account at the project level
Why it's wrong here
This grants broad edit permissions across the project.
- ✗
Grant the roles/pubsub.subscriber role to the service account at the topic level
Why it's wrong here
This grants subscribe permission, not publish.
- ✓
Grant the roles/pubsub.publisher role to the service account at the topic level
Why this is correct
This restricts the permission to only the specified topic.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
- ✗
Grant the roles/pubsub.publisher role to the service account at the project level
Why it's wrong here
This grants publish access to all topics in the project, violating least privilege.
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 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.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related GCDL questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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Google Cloud Security — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this GCDL question test?
Google Cloud Security — This question tests Google Cloud Security — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Grant the roles/pubsub.publisher role to the service account at the topic level — IAM allows granting roles at specific resource levels. To grant only publish permission on a specific topic, you should add the service account as a member and assign the Pub/Sub Publisher role (roles/pubsub.publisher) directly on that topic. Granting the role at the project level would give too broad access. Using a custom role with only the required permission is also correct but more complex; however, the simplest correct approach among the options is to assign a predefined role at the topic level.
What should I do if I get this GCDL 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 GCDL questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This GCDL 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 GCDL exam.
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