Google PCA Design for security and compliance Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design for security and compliance. 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 small company wants to store sensitive files in Cloud Storage and ensure they are encrypted with a key that they control and rotate automatically every 90 days. They are currently using the default encryption provided by Google Cloud. They need a solution that is easy to manage and does not require manual key rotation. 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
✓
Create a Cloud KMS key ring and key with CMEK, set a rotation period of 90 days, and configure the bucket to use that key.
Option B is correct because Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) in Cloud KMS support automatic rotation with a specified rotation period (e.g., 90 days). Option A is wrong because CSEK requires manual key management and rotation. Option C is wrong because default encryption uses Google-managed keys, not customer-controlled. Option D is wrong because Cloud HSM provides hardware-backed keys but still requires CMEK configuration; automatic rotation is possible with CMEK regardless of HSM.
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 Cloud HSM to generate a key and handle encryption outside of Cloud Storage.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud HSM alone does not integrate with Cloud Storage for automatic rotation; CMEK is needed.
✓
Create a Cloud KMS key ring and key with CMEK, set a rotation period of 90 days, and configure the bucket to use that key.
Why this is correct
CMEK with automatic rotation meets the requirement of customer-controlled keys with no manual effort.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Customer-Supplied Encryption Keys (CSEK) and write a script to rotate the key every 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
CSEK requires manual key management and does not support automatic rotation.
✗
Continue using default encryption as it is automatically rotated by Google.
Why it's wrong here
Default encryption uses Google-managed keys, not customer-controlled.
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 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.
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: Create a Cloud KMS key ring and key with CMEK, set a rotation period of 90 days, and configure the bucket to use that key. — Option B is correct because Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) in Cloud KMS support automatic rotation with a specified rotation period (e.g., 90 days). Option A is wrong because CSEK requires manual key management and rotation. Option C is wrong because default encryption uses Google-managed keys, not customer-controlled. Option D is wrong because Cloud HSM provides hardware-backed keys but still requires CMEK configuration; automatic rotation is possible with CMEK regardless of HSM.
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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