- A
Create a service perimeter that allows all traffic from on-premises, then an explicit deny rule for other IP ranges.
Why wrong: Incorrect: VPC SC does not support explicit deny rules.
- B
Create a bridged access level that includes the private IP range 10.1.0.0/16 and a VPC network condition.
Correct: bridged access level ensures traffic goes through VPN and originates from correct subnet.
- C
Configure Cloud NAT in the on-premises network and allow the NAT IP in an access level.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Cloud NAT not used on-premises; also NAT IP may change.
- D
Create an access level with the IP range 10.1.0.0/16 and apply it to a service perimeter.
Why wrong: Incorrect: missing condition that request comes from a VPC to prevent access from other networks with same IP.
Quick Answer
The correct approach is to create a bridged access level that includes the private IP range 10.1.0.0/16 and a VPC network condition. This works because VPC Service Controls rely on access levels to define granular network-based conditions, and a bridged access level allows you to combine an IP subnet with a specific VPC network, ensuring that only traffic from that on-premises subnet arriving through the authorized Cloud VPN tunnel is permitted, while all other on-premises traffic is implicitly denied. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to enforce least privilege with on-premises subnet VPN access, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly use a broader IP range or omit the VPC network condition, which would inadvertently allow traffic from any network using that IP range. A key memory tip is "bridge the subnet to the VPC"—if you don’t tie the IP range to the specific VPC, you break the least-privilege model.
PCSE Configuring network security Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network security. 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 implementing VPC Service Controls to protect sensitive data in Google Cloud Storage. They want to allow a private on-premises subnet (10.1.0.0/16) to access the storage buckets via a Cloud VPN tunnel, but deny all other on-premises traffic. Which configuration approach meets this requirement with least privilege?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
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 bridged access level that includes the private IP range 10.1.0.0/16 and a VPC network condition.
Option B is correct because VPC Service Controls use access levels to define which client identities or network sources can access protected services. By creating a bridged access level that includes both the private IP range 10.1.0.0/16 and a VPC network condition (the VPC connected via Cloud VPN), you ensure that only traffic originating from that specific on-premises subnet and arriving through the authorized VPC is allowed, denying all other on-premises traffic by default. This follows the least-privilege principle by not allowing broader IP ranges or relying on implicit denies.
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.
- ✗
Create a service perimeter that allows all traffic from on-premises, then an explicit deny rule for other IP ranges.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: VPC SC does not support explicit deny rules.
- ✓
Create a bridged access level that includes the private IP range 10.1.0.0/16 and a VPC network condition.
Why this is correct
Correct: bridged access level ensures traffic goes through VPN and originates from correct subnet.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure Cloud NAT in the on-premises network and allow the NAT IP in an access level.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Cloud NAT not used on-premises; also NAT IP may change.
- ✗
Create an access level with the IP range 10.1.0.0/16 and apply it to a service perimeter.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: missing condition that request comes from a VPC to prevent access from other networks with same IP.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that an IP-based access level alone is sufficient for VPN-connected traffic, but the trap here is that without a VPC network condition, the access level would allow any traffic with that IP range, including from other networks or spoofed sources, failing the least-privilege and VPN-specific requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPC Service Controls enforce context-aware access by evaluating access levels that can combine IP ranges, device attributes, and VPC network conditions. A bridged access level uses the 'vpc-network' condition to tie the source IP to a specific VPC network (the one connected via Cloud VPN), ensuring that even if an on-premises host has the same IP range, it cannot access the protected buckets unless traffic traverses the authorized VPN tunnel. This is critical in hybrid cloud scenarios where overlapping IP ranges exist, as it prevents misrouted or malicious traffic from bypassing the VPN.
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 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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Configuring network security — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Configuring network security — This question tests Configuring network security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a bridged access level that includes the private IP range 10.1.0.0/16 and a VPC network condition. — Option B is correct because VPC Service Controls use access levels to define which client identities or network sources can access protected services. By creating a bridged access level that includes both the private IP range 10.1.0.0/16 and a VPC network condition (the VPC connected via Cloud VPN), you ensure that only traffic originating from that specific on-premises subnet and arriving through the authorized VPC is allowed, denying all other on-premises traffic by default. This follows the least-privilege principle by not allowing broader IP ranges or relying on implicit denies.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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