PCSE Supporting compliance requirements Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of supporting compliance requirements. 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 company is deploying a new application that must comply with HIPAA. They are using Google Cloud services. Which TWO services are required to be enabled with appropriate configurations to support HIPAA compliance?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) with customer-managed keys (CMEK)
Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) with customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) is required for HIPAA compliance because it allows the customer to control the encryption keys used to protect protected health information (PHI) at rest. HIPAA mandates that covered entities implement mechanisms to encrypt and decrypt PHI, and using CMEK ensures the customer retains sole control over key material, which is a key requirement for meeting the Security Rule's addressable implementation specification for encryption.
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 Key Management Service (KMS) with customer-managed keys (CMEK)
Why this is correct
CMEK is required by HIPAA for encryption key management documentation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Cloud Armor
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Armor is a security service but not specifically required for HIPAA.
✓
Cloud Audit Logs
Why this is correct
Audit logs are required for HIPAA compliance to track access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Cloud Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Why it's wrong here
CDN is not a compliance requirement.
✗
Cloud Functions
Why it's wrong here
Functions are a compute service, not a compliance requirement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that any security service (like Cloud Armor or Cloud CDN) is automatically required for HIPAA compliance, when in fact only services that directly enforce encryption key control and audit logging (Cloud Audit Logs) are mandatory under the HIPAA Security Rule's implementation specifications.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud KMS with CMEK integrates with Google Cloud's storage services (e.g., Cloud Storage, BigQuery, Persistent Disk) via envelope encryption, where a customer-managed key encrypts a data encryption key (DEK) that then encrypts the actual data. This ensures that Google cannot access the key material without explicit customer authorization, satisfying the HIPAA Security Rule's requirement for unique user identification and access control (45 CFR § 164.312(a)(1)). In a real-world scenario, if a healthcare provider stores PHI in Cloud Storage buckets, enabling CMEK ensures that even if a bucket is misconfigured, the data remains encrypted with a key only the customer controls, preventing unauthorized decryption by Google or third parties.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Supporting compliance requirements — This question tests Supporting compliance requirements — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) with customer-managed keys (CMEK) — Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) with customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) is required for HIPAA compliance because it allows the customer to control the encryption keys used to protect protected health information (PHI) at rest. HIPAA mandates that covered entities implement mechanisms to encrypt and decrypt PHI, and using CMEK ensures the customer retains sole control over key material, which is a key requirement for meeting the Security Rule's addressable implementation specification for encryption.
What should I do if I get this PCSE 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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This PCSE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PCSE exam.
Question Discussion
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