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 wants to allow users to authenticate to a web application running on Compute Engine using their existing corporate Active Directory credentials without exposing the application to the public internet. Which approach should they use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set up Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) and sync Active Directory to Cloud Identity
Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) provides zero-trust access to applications by verifying identity and context. It integrates with Cloud Identity, which can be synced with Active Directory via Cloud Directory Sync.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Configure a Cloud VPN and allow only corporate IP addresses in firewall rules
Why it's wrong here
This does not authenticate individual users; it only restricts by IP.
✓
Set up Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) and sync Active Directory to Cloud Identity
Why this is correct
IAP uses Cloud Identity for authentication, and Cloud Directory Sync can sync AD users.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Use Cloud Load Balancing with SSL and client certificates
Why it's wrong here
Client certificates are not tied to AD credentials and do not provide user-level authentication.
✗
Configure Cloud NAT and assign static IPs to users
Why it's wrong here
Cloud NAT is for outbound traffic, not inbound authentication.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 PCA question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Designing for Security and Compliance — This question tests Designing for Security and Compliance — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set up Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) and sync Active Directory to Cloud Identity — Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) provides zero-trust access to applications by verifying identity and context. It integrates with Cloud Identity, which can be synced with Active Directory via Cloud Directory Sync.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This PCA 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 PCA exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.