Cloud Digital Leader Trust and security with Google Cloud Practice Question
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of trust and security with google cloud. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 healthcare company must store PHI in Cloud Storage. They require encryption at rest and in transit, and need to comply with HIPAA. Which combination of Google Cloud features should they implement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Cloud Storage with SSE-GCP and use HTTPS, sign BAA with Google.
Option C is correct because Cloud Storage with server-side encryption (SSE-GCP) provides encryption at rest by default, HTTPS ensures encryption in transit, and signing a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Google is a mandatory contractual requirement for HIPAA compliance. This combination satisfies all stated requirements: encryption at rest, encryption in transit, and HIPAA compliance.
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.
✗
Cloud Storage with SSE-C, HTTP for in-transit, and enable HIPAA compliance flag.
Why it's wrong here
HTTP is not encrypted; there is no HIPAA compliance flag in Cloud Storage.
✗
Use Cloud Storage with CSEK and disable public access.
Why it's wrong here
CSEK requires customer to manage keys, but BAA is still required; disabling public access does not ensure encryption in transit.
✓
Cloud Storage with SSE-GCP and use HTTPS, sign BAA with Google.
Why this is correct
SSE-GCP provides encryption at rest, HTTPS provides encryption in transit, and a BAA is required for HIPAA compliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Cloud Storage with CMEK and use VPN for transit.
Why it's wrong here
CMEK provides customer key control but a BAA is still needed; VPN alone does not encrypt all traffic (e.g., uploads).
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse encryption mechanisms (SSE-C, CSEK, CMEK, SSE-GCP) with HIPAA compliance requirements, mistakenly thinking that any encryption method plus disabling public access or using a VPN is sufficient, when in fact a signed BAA is the non-negotiable contractual requirement for HIPAA compliance with Google Cloud.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Google Cloud Storage uses AES-256 for SSE-GCP encryption at rest by default, with keys managed by Google. For HIPAA compliance, Google requires customers to sign a BAA, which is a contractual agreement that Google will handle PHI in accordance with HIPAA rules. HTTPS (TLS 1.2 or higher) is mandatory for encryption in transit; HTTP or plain VPN without HTTPS does not meet the requirement because Cloud Storage endpoints must use TLS to protect data during transfer.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this GCDL question in full detail.
Trust and security with Google Cloud — This question tests Trust and security with Google Cloud — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Storage with SSE-GCP and use HTTPS, sign BAA with Google. — Option C is correct because Cloud Storage with server-side encryption (SSE-GCP) provides encryption at rest by default, HTTPS ensures encryption in transit, and signing a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Google is a mandatory contractual requirement for HIPAA compliance. This combination satisfies all stated requirements: encryption at rest, encryption in transit, and HIPAA compliance.
What should I do if I get this GCDL 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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Question Discussion
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