- A
Remove public IPs from all Compute Engine instances and enforce firewall rules to block SSH from the internet.
Why wrong: While important for security, this does not fix the data residency violation, which is the immediate compliance risk.
- B
Configure VPC Service Controls to create a secure perimeter around the project and restrict data movement.
Why wrong: VPC Service Controls help prevent data exfiltration but do not enforce data residency at rest.
- C
Enable customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) on the bucket to encrypt all objects at rest.
Why wrong: Encryption protects data at rest but does not change the location of data storage.
- D
Move the bucket to a regional location (e.g., us-central1) using the 'gcloud storage buckets update' command and set the location constraint.
Moving the bucket to a regional location ensures data stays within the US, satisfying the data residency requirement. This should be done first to avoid further violation.
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. 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 healthcare organization is migrating a HIPAA-covered application to Google Cloud. The application processes electronic protected health information (ePHI) and must maintain strict data residency within a specific geographic region. The organization has already signed a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Google Cloud. During a compliance review, the security team discovers that one of the Cloud Storage buckets containing ePHI is located in the 'US' multi-region, but the organization's data residency policy requires data to be stored only in the United States region (e.g., us-central1). The bucket was created without any enforcement of organization policies. The team also finds that several Compute Engine instances in the us-central1 zone have public IP addresses and are accessible over the internet via SSH, which could expose ePHI in transit. The security team needs to remediate these issues while minimizing downtime and without violating the BAA. Which course of action should the security team take 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
Move the bucket to a regional location (e.g., us-central1) using the 'gcloud storage buckets update' command and set the location constraint.
Option D is correct because the immediate priority is to resolve the data residency violation by moving the bucket from the 'US' multi-region to a specific regional location like us-central1. The 'gcloud storage buckets update' command with the '--location' flag can change the bucket's location, but only if the bucket is empty; since the bucket contains ePHI, the security team must first copy the data to a new regional bucket and then delete the original. This directly addresses the compliance requirement without violating the BAA, as the BAA is already in place and does not restrict location changes.
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 public IPs from all Compute Engine instances and enforce firewall rules to block SSH from the internet.
Why it's wrong here
While important for security, this does not fix the data residency violation, which is the immediate compliance risk.
- ✗
Configure VPC Service Controls to create a secure perimeter around the project and restrict data movement.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls help prevent data exfiltration but do not enforce data residency at rest.
- ✗
Enable customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) on the bucket to encrypt all objects at rest.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption protects data at rest but does not change the location of data storage.
- ✓
Move the bucket to a regional location (e.g., us-central1) using the 'gcloud storage buckets update' command and set the location constraint.
Why this is correct
Moving the bucket to a regional location ensures data stays within the US, satisfying the data residency requirement. This should be done first to avoid further violation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that security controls like encryption or network perimeters can substitute for geographic compliance, but data residency is a location-based requirement that can only be fixed by moving the data to the correct region.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Storage buckets have a location type (regional, dual-region, or multi-region) that is immutable after creation; to change the location, you must create a new bucket in the desired region and copy the data using tools like 'gsutil rsync' or Storage Transfer Service. The 'US' multi-region stores data across multiple Google Cloud regions within the United States (e.g., us-central1, us-east1, us-west1), which violates a strict data residency policy requiring a single regional location. The BAA with Google Cloud covers ePHI processing but does not override the organization's own data residency constraints.
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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Trust and security with Google Cloud — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this GCDL question test?
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: Move the bucket to a regional location (e.g., us-central1) using the 'gcloud storage buckets update' command and set the location constraint. — Option D is correct because the immediate priority is to resolve the data residency violation by moving the bucket from the 'US' multi-region to a specific regional location like us-central1. The 'gcloud storage buckets update' command with the '--location' flag can change the bucket's location, but only if the bucket is empty; since the bucket contains ePHI, the security team must first copy the data to a new regional bucket and then delete the original. This directly addresses the compliance requirement without violating the BAA, as the BAA is already in place and does not restrict location changes.
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.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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