Google PCA Designing for Security and Compliance Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of designing for security and compliance. 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 company is using Cloud SQL for MySQL and wants to encrypt data at rest with a key that they manage and rotate. They also want to avoid any additional cost for the encryption feature. What should they do?
Why wrong: CSEK is deprecated for Cloud SQL and involves key management overhead.
B
Use Google-managed encryption keys (default).
Why wrong: Default encryption uses Google-managed keys, which the customer cannot manage or rotate.
C
Use Cloud HSM to manage the keys.
Why wrong: Cloud HSM adds cost and is not necessary for encryption of Cloud SQL data.
D
Enable Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) with Cloud KMS.
CMEK allows you to manage and rotate keys, but Cloud KMS usage may incur costs. However, among the options, this is the only way to meet the requirement.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) with Cloud KMS.
Cloud SQL supports CMEK, which allows customers to use their own keys from Cloud KMS. However, CMEK usage incurs charges for Cloud KMS key versions. The correct answer is to use CMEK, but note that there is no additional cost for the Cloud SQL encryption itself, only for KMS usage. The question asks to avoid additional cost, but CMEK does add KMS cost. However, the other options are wrong: Google-managed keys cost nothing but don't meet management requirement, CSEK is deprecated, and HSM adds cost.
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.
✗
Use Customer-Supplied Encryption Keys (CSEK).
Why it's wrong here
CSEK is deprecated for Cloud SQL and involves key management overhead.
✗
Use Google-managed encryption keys (default).
Why it's wrong here
Default encryption uses Google-managed keys, which the customer cannot manage or rotate.
✗
Use Cloud HSM to manage the keys.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud HSM adds cost and is not necessary for encryption of Cloud SQL data.
✓
Enable Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) with Cloud KMS.
Why this is correct
CMEK allows you to manage and rotate keys, but Cloud KMS usage may incur costs. However, among the options, this is the only way to meet the requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PCA question in full detail.
Identify which PCA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Designing for Security and Compliance — This question tests Designing for Security and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) with Cloud KMS. — Cloud SQL supports CMEK, which allows customers to use their own keys from Cloud KMS. However, CMEK usage incurs charges for Cloud KMS key versions. The correct answer is to use CMEK, but note that there is no additional cost for the Cloud SQL encryption itself, only for KMS usage. The question asks to avoid additional cost, but CMEK does add KMS cost. However, the other options are wrong: Google-managed keys cost nothing but don't meet management requirement, CSEK is deprecated, and HSM adds cost.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Identify which PCA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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