The answer is to delete the allow-ssh-ingress rule. This is correct because in Google Cloud VPC firewall rules, priority is evaluated with lower numbers taking precedence—so the allow-ssh-ingress rule at priority 1000 overrides the allow-ssh-from-bastion rule at priority 2000, allowing SSH from any source IP. By removing the higher-priority rule, only the more restrictive rule remains, effectively limiting SSH access to the bastion subnet 10.0.1.0/24. On the Google Professional Cloud Architect exam, this tests your understanding of VPC firewall rule priority and how overlapping rules interact; a common trap is assuming that a more specific source IP automatically wins, but in GCP, priority number always decides. Remember the memory tip: "Lower number, higher power"—the smallest priority number always wins the traffic match.
Google PCA Design for security and compliance Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design for security and compliance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Network Topology
An engineer runs the above command and sees two firewall rules that allow SSH access. A security review requires that SSH access be allowed only from the bastion subnet 10.0.1.0/24. What should the engineer do to meet the requirement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Delete the allow-ssh-ingress rule
The correct answer is C because the allow-ssh-ingress rule has a higher priority (lower number) than the allow-ssh-from-bastion rule, allowing SSH from any source IP. Deleting this rule ensures that only the lower-priority rule (allow-ssh-from-bastion) remains, which restricts SSH access to the bastion subnet 10.0.1.0/24. In Google Cloud VPC firewall rules, lower priority numbers indicate higher precedence, so the allow-ssh-ingress rule (priority 1000) overrides the allow-ssh-from-bastion rule (priority 2000) for any traffic matching both.
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.
✗
Add a firewall rule with priority 500 that denies SSH from all IPs
Why it's wrong here
A deny rule with higher priority (lower number) would override the allow rules, blocking SSH from bastion as well.
✗
Change the priority of allow-ssh-ingress to 2000
Why it's wrong here
Priority does not change the source range; the rule still allows all IPs.
✓
Delete the allow-ssh-ingress rule
Why this is correct
Deleting the overly permissive rule leaves only the bastion-specific rule, meeting the requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Remove the target tag 'ssh-allowed' from allow-ssh-from-bastion
Why it's wrong here
This would prevent the bastion rule from applying to instances, blocking SSH from bastion.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that adding a deny rule with a higher priority (lower number) will block unwanted traffic while preserving the allow rule, but candidates forget that the deny rule would also block the intended bastion traffic, breaking the requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Google Cloud VPC, firewall rules are evaluated based on priority (lower number = higher priority), and the first matching rule (either allow or deny) is applied; there is no implicit 'deny all' at the end of the rule list, so explicit deny rules are often used to block traffic. The target tag mechanism allows rules to apply only to instances with that tag, enabling granular control; here, both rules likely target the same tag 'ssh-allowed', so the higher-priority allow-ssh-ingress rule matches first and permits SSH from any source. A real-world scenario is when a security team mistakenly leaves a broad allow rule in place while adding a more restrictive rule, thinking the restrictive rule will override, but due to priority ordering, the broad rule still applies.
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 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.
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: Delete the allow-ssh-ingress rule — The correct answer is C because the allow-ssh-ingress rule has a higher priority (lower number) than the allow-ssh-from-bastion rule, allowing SSH from any source IP. Deleting this rule ensures that only the lower-priority rule (allow-ssh-from-bastion) remains, which restricts SSH access to the bastion subnet 10.0.1.0/24. In Google Cloud VPC firewall rules, lower priority numbers indicate higher precedence, so the allow-ssh-ingress rule (priority 1000) overrides the allow-ssh-from-bastion rule (priority 2000) for any traffic matching both.
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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