- A
Create a hierarchical firewall policy at the folder level that denies egress to 0.0.0.0/0 except for the trusted IP ranges.
Hierarchical policies apply to all projects below and cannot be overridden by VPC firewall rules.
- B
Restrict tenant admins from modifying hierarchical firewall policies by not granting the compute.firewallPolicies.create/update/delete permissions at the organization or folder level.
This prevents tenants from altering the hierarchical policy.
- C
Grant tenant admins the compute.securityAdmin role to manage firewall rules.
Why wrong: This would allow them to override the rules.
- D
Use VPC Service Controls to block egress traffic.
Why wrong: VPC Service Controls restrict access to Google APIs, not general internet egress.
- E
Create a VPC firewall rule in each tenant project to deny egress traffic.
Why wrong: Tenant admins could modify or delete these rules.
PCSE Configuring Network Security Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 designing a secure multi-tenant environment in Google Cloud. Each tenant has its own VPC network and resources. The security team wants to centrally enforce a rule that denies all egress traffic to the internet from tenant VPCs, except for traffic to specific trusted IP ranges for software updates. They also want to ensure that tenant admins cannot override this rule. Which two actions should they take? (Choose two.)
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Create a hierarchical firewall policy at the folder level that denies egress to 0.0.0.0/0 except for the trusted IP ranges.
Hierarchical firewall policies are inherited and cannot be overridden at lower levels. They can be used to enforce mandatory rules. The organization can create a hierarchical firewall policy at the organization or folder level that denies all egress to 0.0.0.0/0 except for the trusted IP ranges. Additionally, to prevent tenant admins from overriding, they should not grant them the compute.firewallPolicies.update permission or similar. The correct choices are: create a hierarchical firewall policy and restrict permissions to modify firewall policies.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Create a hierarchical firewall policy at the folder level that denies egress to 0.0.0.0/0 except for the trusted IP ranges.
Why this is correct
Hierarchical policies apply to all projects below and cannot be overridden by VPC firewall rules.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✓
Restrict tenant admins from modifying hierarchical firewall policies by not granting the compute.firewallPolicies.create/update/delete permissions at the organization or folder level.
Why this is correct
This prevents tenants from altering the hierarchical policy.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✗
Grant tenant admins the compute.securityAdmin role to manage firewall rules.
Why it's wrong here
This would allow them to override the rules.
- ✗
Use VPC Service Controls to block egress traffic.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls restrict access to Google APIs, not general internet egress.
- ✗
Create a VPC firewall rule in each tenant project to deny egress traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Tenant admins could modify or delete these rules.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PCSE ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Configuring Network Security — This question tests Configuring Network Security — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a hierarchical firewall policy at the folder level that denies egress to 0.0.0.0/0 except for the trusted IP ranges. — Hierarchical firewall policies are inherited and cannot be overridden at lower levels. They can be used to enforce mandatory rules. The organization can create a hierarchical firewall policy at the organization or folder level that denies all egress to 0.0.0.0/0 except for the trusted IP ranges. Additionally, to prevent tenant admins from overriding, they should not grant them the compute.firewallPolicies.update permission or similar. The correct choices are: create a hierarchical firewall policy and restrict permissions to modify firewall policies.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PCSE ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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