- A
Use a customer-supplied encryption key (CSEK) instead of CMEK.
Why wrong: CSEK requires providing the key with each API call, not using a key managed in Cloud KMS.
- B
Grant the Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter role to the Cloud Storage service account at the Cloud KMS key resource.
This grants the minimum required permission at the specific key.
- C
Create a bucket with default encryption set to use a CMEK, and grant the service account the Cloud KMS Admin role.
Why wrong: Cloud KMS Admin role grants permission to manage keys, not just use them for encryption.
- D
Grant the Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter role to the Cloud Storage service account at the project level.
Why wrong: Granting at project level is too broad and violates least privilege.
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 wants to ensure that all data stored in Cloud Storage buckets is encrypted with a customer-managed key (CMEK) that is managed in Cloud KMS. The security team requires that only authorized applications can access the key. Which configuration step should be taken to achieve this?
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
Grant the Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter role to the Cloud Storage service account at the Cloud KMS key resource.
Option B is correct because Cloud Storage uses its own Google-managed service account to interact with Cloud KMS when encrypting or decrypting data with a CMEK. By granting the Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter role to the Cloud Storage service account at the specific key resource, you authorize only that service account to use the key, ensuring that only authorized applications (via Cloud Storage) can access the key. This follows the principle of least privilege and meets the security team's requirement.
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.
- ✗
Use a customer-supplied encryption key (CSEK) instead of CMEK.
Why it's wrong here
CSEK requires providing the key with each API call, not using a key managed in Cloud KMS.
- ✓
Grant the Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter role to the Cloud Storage service account at the Cloud KMS key resource.
Why this is correct
This grants the minimum required permission at the specific key.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a bucket with default encryption set to use a CMEK, and grant the service account the Cloud KMS Admin role.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud KMS Admin role grants permission to manage keys, not just use them for encryption.
- ✗
Grant the Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter role to the Cloud Storage service account at the project level.
Why it's wrong here
Granting at project level is too broad and violates least privilege.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between granting roles at the project level versus the resource level, and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly think granting the role at the project level is sufficient, but that would allow any bucket in the project to use the key, violating the 'only authorized applications' requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud Storage uses a service account named 'service-<project-number>@gs-project-accounts.iam.gserviceaccount.com' to perform encryption and decryption operations on behalf of the bucket. When you set a CMEK as the default encryption key for a bucket, Cloud Storage automatically uses this service account to call the Cloud KMS API (specifically the Encrypt and Decrypt methods) for each object write or read. The CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter role grants only the minimum permissions needed for these operations, and binding it at the key resource level ensures that only that specific key can be used by the service account, preventing unauthorized access from other keys or projects.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: Grant the Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter role to the Cloud Storage service account at the Cloud KMS key resource. — Option B is correct because Cloud Storage uses its own Google-managed service account to interact with Cloud KMS when encrypting or decrypting data with a CMEK. By granting the Cloud KMS CryptoKey Encrypter/Decrypter role to the Cloud Storage service account at the specific key resource, you authorize only that service account to use the key, ensuring that only authorized applications (via Cloud Storage) can access the key. This follows the principle of least privilege and meets the security team's requirement.
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: 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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