Google PCA Design for security and compliance Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design for security and compliance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 stores Protected Health Information (PHI) in Cloud SQL. They have implemented encryption at rest using CMEK and enforce TLS for all connections. To meet HIPAA compliance, they need to ensure that PHI cannot be exfiltrated from the Cloud SQL instance even if an application is compromised. The Cloud SQL instance is accessed by Compute Engine instances in the same VPC using private IPs. The security team wants to add an additional layer of defense against data exfiltration. What should they do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure VPC Service Controls with a service perimeter that includes the Cloud SQL instance and uses Private Service Connect.
Option A is correct because using VPC Service Controls with Private Service Connect for Cloud SQL creates a service perimeter that prevents data from being exfiltrated beyond the allowed network. Option B is wrong because Cloud SQL Auth proxy provides authentication but does not prevent exfiltration. Option C is wrong because CMEK protects data at rest, not exfiltration in transit. Option D is wrong because Cloud Armor is for HTTP(S) load balancers, not Cloud SQL connections.
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.
✗
Deploy Cloud Armor and apply a WAF rule to block suspicious traffic to the Cloud SQL instance.
Use the Cloud SQL Auth proxy from all applications to enforce IAM-based authentication.
Why it's wrong here
Auth proxy provides authentication and encryption but does not restrict where data can be sent.
✓
Configure VPC Service Controls with a service perimeter that includes the Cloud SQL instance and uses Private Service Connect.
Why this is correct
VPC SC restricts data access to authorized networks and prevents exfiltration via internet.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) on the Cloud SQL instance.
Why it's wrong here
CMEK protects data at rest, not from exfiltration during use.
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 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.
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.
Design for security and compliance — This question tests Design 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: Configure VPC Service Controls with a service perimeter that includes the Cloud SQL instance and uses Private Service Connect. — Option A is correct because using VPC Service Controls with Private Service Connect for Cloud SQL creates a service perimeter that prevents data from being exfiltrated beyond the allowed network. Option B is wrong because Cloud SQL Auth proxy provides authentication but does not prevent exfiltration. Option C is wrong because CMEK protects data at rest, not exfiltration in transit. Option D is wrong because Cloud Armor is for HTTP(S) load balancers, not Cloud SQL connections.
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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