Google PCA Practice Question: Managing and Provisioning a Solution Infrastructure
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of managing and provisioning a solution infrastructure. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 security team wants to enforce that only container images signed by their internal CI/CD pipeline can run on GKE clusters. They also need to ensure that unsigned images are rejected at admission time. Which combination of services and configurations should they use?
Why wrong: PodSecurityPolicy (deprecated) restricts pod security contexts, not image signing. It cannot enforce signature verification.
B
Binary Authorization with Cloud KMS for signing
Binary Authorization enforces policy that only signed images can run. Cloud KMS provides the cryptographic keys for signing.
C
Cloud Build with Container Analysis
Why wrong: Container Analysis stores metadata about images, including signatures, but does not enforce admission policies. Binary Authorization is required for enforcement.
D
Artifact Registry vulnerability scanning and IAM roles
Why wrong: Vulnerability scanning identifies issues but does not enforce signing. IAM roles control access, not image signing.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Binary Authorization with Cloud KMS for signing
Binary Authorization enforces policy by requiring images to be signed by trusted signers (e.g., using Cloud KMS). It integrates with GKE admission control to block unsigned images. Cloud KMS creates and manages signing keys. Artifact Registry stores signed images but does not enforce policy. Cloud Build can be used to sign images during build, but the enforcement mechanism is Binary Authorization.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
GKE PodSecurityPolicy with allowed registries
Why it's wrong here
PodSecurityPolicy (deprecated) restricts pod security contexts, not image signing. It cannot enforce signature verification.
✓
Binary Authorization with Cloud KMS for signing
Why this is correct
Binary Authorization enforces policy that only signed images can run. Cloud KMS provides the cryptographic keys for signing.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
Cloud Build with Container Analysis
Why it's wrong here
Container Analysis stores metadata about images, including signatures, but does not enforce admission policies. Binary Authorization is required for enforcement.
✗
Artifact Registry vulnerability scanning and IAM roles
Why it's wrong here
Vulnerability scanning identifies issues but does not enforce signing. IAM roles control access, not image signing.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related PCA questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Managing and Provisioning a Solution Infrastructure — This question tests Managing and Provisioning a Solution Infrastructure — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Binary Authorization with Cloud KMS for signing — Binary Authorization enforces policy by requiring images to be signed by trusted signers (e.g., using Cloud KMS). It integrates with GKE admission control to block unsigned images. Cloud KMS creates and manages signing keys. Artifact Registry stores signed images but does not enforce policy. Cloud Build can be used to sign images during build, but the enforcement mechanism is Binary Authorization.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related PCA questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Question Discussion
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