- A
Set a rotation period of 30 days on the key.
Setting the rotation period on the key enables automatic rotation every 30 days.
- B
Use a cron job to rotate keys manually every 30 days.
Why wrong: Manual rotation is not automatic; the customer wants automatic rotation.
- C
Set a rotation period of 30 days on the key ring.
Why wrong: Rotation period is set on the key, not the key ring.
- D
Set a rotation period on the key version.
Why wrong: Rotation period is set on the key, not individual versions.
Question 975 of 985
PCSE Ensuring Data Protection Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of ensuring data protection. 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 uses Cloud KMS with a key purpose of ENCRYPT_DECRYPT. They need to rotate the key automatically every 30 days. What must they configure?
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
✓
Set a rotation period of 30 days on the key.
Option A is correct because Cloud KMS allows you to set a rotation period directly on a key (a CryptoKey resource) when its purpose is ENCRYPT_DECRYPT. Configuring a rotation period of 30 days on the key enables automatic, scheduled rotation, where Cloud KMS creates a new key version every 30 days and promotes it to primary, without any manual intervention.
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.
- ✓
Set a rotation period of 30 days on the key.
Why this is correct
Setting the rotation period on the key enables automatic rotation every 30 days.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a cron job to rotate keys manually every 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Manual rotation is not automatic; the customer wants automatic rotation.
- ✗
Set a rotation period of 30 days on the key ring.
Why it's wrong here
Rotation period is set on the key, not the key ring.
- ✗
Set a rotation period on the key version.
Why it's wrong here
Rotation period is set on the key, not individual versions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between key-level and key-ring-level configurations, and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly think rotation is set on the key ring or on individual key versions, when in fact it is always set on the CryptoKey resource itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud KMS rotation uses the `rotation_period` field on a CryptoKey, specified as a duration (e.g., '2592000s' for 30 days). When the rotation period elapses, Cloud KMS automatically creates a new key version and sets it as the primary version, while older versions remain available for decryption of data encrypted with them. This is critical for compliance scenarios (e.g., PCI-DSS or SOC 2) that require cryptographic key rotation every 90 days or less, and it avoids the risk of accidental data loss from premature deletion of old key versions.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
- →
Ensuring Data Protection — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Ensuring Data Protection — This question tests Ensuring Data Protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set a rotation period of 30 days on the key. — Option A is correct because Cloud KMS allows you to set a rotation period directly on a key (a CryptoKey resource) when its purpose is ENCRYPT_DECRYPT. Configuring a rotation period of 30 days on the key enables automatic, scheduled rotation, where Cloud KMS creates a new key version every 30 days and promotes it to primary, without any manual intervention.
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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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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