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.
Which TWO statements about Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) are correct?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
IAP can be used to protect access to Compute Engine VMs via SSH and RDP without a VPN
Option B is correct because Cloud IAP enables identity-based access to Compute Engine instances via SSH and RDP without requiring a VPN or bastion host. IAP uses the user's identity and request context to create a secure tunnel, forwarding traffic to the instance over HTTPS and verifying the user's credentials before allowing the connection.
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.
✗
IAP encrypts data at rest by default
Why it's wrong here
IAP is for access control, not data encryption at rest.
✓
IAP can be used to protect access to Compute Engine VMs via SSH and RDP without a VPN
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
IAP only works with Google Cloud applications
Why it's wrong here
IAP can also protect on-premises applications via IAP for on-premises.
✓
IAP uses the identity of the user and the context of the request to decide whether to allow access
Why this is correct
IAP uses identity and context (device, IP, etc.) for access decisions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
IAP requires using a third-party identity provider
Why it's wrong here
IAP uses Google Workspace or Cloud Identity; it can also federate with third-party IdPs, but not required.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that IAP is limited to Google Cloud services or that it requires a third-party identity provider, when in fact IAP supports hybrid access and can use Google-managed identities without external IdPs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
IAP works by intercepting requests at the Google Cloud load balancer or through the IAP TCP forwarding daemon, which authenticates the user and evaluates context-aware access policies (e.g., device state, IP range) before proxying the connection. For SSH/RDP, IAP uses the gcloud compute start-iap-tunnel command to establish a secure tunnel over HTTPS (port 443) to the instance, eliminating the need for a public IP or VPN. This is particularly useful in zero-trust architectures where network-level access is replaced with identity- and context-based authorization.
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 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.
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: IAP can be used to protect access to Compute Engine VMs via SSH and RDP without a VPN — Option B is correct because Cloud IAP enables identity-based access to Compute Engine instances via SSH and RDP without requiring a VPN or bastion host. IAP uses the user's identity and request context to create a secure tunnel, forwarding traffic to the instance over HTTPS and verifying the user's credentials before allowing the connection.
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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