The answer is Cloud Storage with CMEK via Cloud KMS, Cloud Audit Logs, and Chronicle. This combination directly addresses the compliance requirement for PHI encryption with a customer-managed key rotated every 90 days, as Cloud KMS enables you to create and schedule automatic key rotation for your CMEK, while Cloud Audit Logs capture all Data Access audit logs for the bucket, and Chronicle provides the advanced security analytics needed to detect anomalous access patterns. On the Google Professional Cloud Architect exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to layer encryption, logging, and security analytics for regulated data—a common trap is choosing Cloud Logging alone without a dedicated SIEM like Chronicle for anomaly detection. Remember the mnemonic "KAC" for Key, Audit, Chronicle to recall the three required services for PHI compliance with CMEK.
Google PCA Design for security and compliance Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design 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 healthcare organization uses Cloud Storage to store protected health information (PHI). They have a compliance requirement to ensure that all objects in the bucket are encrypted with a customer-managed key (CMK) that is rotated every 90 days. They also need to log all access to the bucket and detect anomalous access patterns. Which combination of Google Cloud services 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
✓
Cloud Storage with CMEK via Cloud KMS, Cloud Audit Logs, and Chronicle
Option D is correct because Cloud Storage with CMEK via Cloud KMS allows the organization to use a customer-managed key that can be rotated every 90 days, meeting the compliance requirement. Cloud Audit Logs capture all access to the bucket, and Chronicle provides advanced security analytics to detect anomalous access patterns, fulfilling the logging and detection needs.
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.
✗
Cloud Storage with default encryption, Cloud Audit Logs, and Security Command Center
Why it's wrong here
Default encryption uses Google-managed keys, not customer-managed, so rotation is not under customer control.
✗
Cloud Storage with CMEK via Cloud HSM, Cloud Audit Logs, and Cloud DLP
Why it's wrong here
Cloud DLP is for data loss prevention, not anomaly detection.
✗
Cloud Storage with CSEK, Cloud Audit Logs, and Security Command Center
Why it's wrong here
CSEK keys are not managed via Cloud KMS and cannot be rotated automatically; they are supplied per request.
✓
Cloud Storage with CMEK via Cloud KMS, Cloud Audit Logs, and Chronicle
Why this is correct
CMEK uses Cloud KMS for key management, Cloud Audit Logs for logging, and Chronicle for anomaly detection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing the key management options (CMEK vs. CSEK vs. default encryption) and the security analytics tools (Security Command Center vs. Chronicle), where candidates often pick Security Command Center for anomaly detection when Chronicle is specifically designed for log-based threat detection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud KMS allows you to create and manage key versions, enabling automatic rotation of CMEK every 90 days via a rotation schedule. Cloud Audit Logs record Admin Activity and Data Access logs for Cloud Storage, which can be streamed to Chronicle for analysis using its security analytics and machine learning models to detect anomalies such as unusual access times or locations. In a real-world scenario, if a PHI bucket is accessed from an unexpected geographic region, Chronicle can trigger an alert based on the log data.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PCA question in full detail.
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: Cloud Storage with CMEK via Cloud KMS, Cloud Audit Logs, and Chronicle — Option D is correct because Cloud Storage with CMEK via Cloud KMS allows the organization to use a customer-managed key that can be rotated every 90 days, meeting the compliance requirement. Cloud Audit Logs capture all access to the bucket, and Chronicle provides advanced security analytics to detect anomalous access patterns, fulfilling the logging and detection needs.
What should I do if I get this PCA 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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