The answer is the `roles/binaryauthorization.attestorsEditor` role. This is the correct choice because the binary authorization attestor editor role includes the `binaryauthorization.attestors.attest` permission, which is specifically required for a CI/CD service account to attach an attestation to a container image. Without this role, the service account cannot create the signed attestation that Binary Authorization’s admission controller will accept during deployment. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this question tests your understanding of the granular IAM permissions within Binary Authorization, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose a broader role like `roles/binaryauthorization.admin` or a viewer role. The key distinction is that only the attestorsEditor role grants the ability to actually attach—not just view or manage—attestations. A useful memory tip: think of the word “attest” inside “attestorsEditor”—if you need to attach a signature, you need the role that has “attest” in its permissions.
PCSE Practice Question: Configuring access within a cloud solution environment
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring access within a cloud solution environment. 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 uses Binary Authorization for their GKE clusters. They want to ensure that only images signed by their internal CI/CD system can be deployed. Which IAM role is required for the CI/CD service account to attach attestations?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
roles/binaryauthorization.attestorsEditor
The correct answer is D because the `roles/binaryauthorization.attestorsEditor` IAM role grants the necessary permissions to create and manage attestations, including the `binaryauthorization.attestors.attest` permission required for a CI/CD service account to attach an attestation to a container image. Without this role, the service account cannot create a signed attestation that Binary Authorization will accept during admission control.
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.
✗
roles/binaryauthorization.attestorsViewer
Why it's wrong here
Read-only access to attestor definitions, cannot create attestations.
✗
roles/container.developer
Why it's wrong here
Grants access to deploy to GKE but does not include attestation creation permissions.
✗
roles/cloudkms.signerVerifier
Why it's wrong here
This role is for signing with Cloud KMS keys, not for creating attestations.
✓
roles/binaryauthorization.attestorsEditor
Why this is correct
Grants the binaryauthorization.attestations.create permission needed to attach attestations.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between roles that grant read access to attestors (like `attestorsViewer`) versus roles that grant the ability to create attestations (like `attestorsEditor`), and candidates may confuse the `container.developer` role as sufficient because it allows deploying containers, but it lacks the specific Binary Authorization attestation permission.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Binary Authorization enforces that only images with valid attestations from trusted attestors can be deployed. The CI/CD system must use the `binaryauthorization.attestors.attest` permission to create a signed attestation, which is typically done via the `gcloud container binauthz attestations create` command or the Binary Authorization API. The attestation is a signed payload that includes the image digest and the attestor's public key, and the service account must have the `attestorsEditor` role (or a custom role with the `binaryauthorization.attestors.attest` permission) to perform this action.
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.
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.
Configuring access within a cloud solution environment — This question tests Configuring access within a cloud solution environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: roles/binaryauthorization.attestorsEditor — The correct answer is D because the `roles/binaryauthorization.attestorsEditor` IAM role grants the necessary permissions to create and manage attestations, including the `binaryauthorization.attestors.attest` permission required for a CI/CD service account to attach an attestation to a container image. Without this role, the service account cannot create a signed attestation that Binary Authorization will accept during admission control.
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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Question Discussion
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