Quick Answer
The correct immediate action is to disable the service account key using IAM. This is the fastest way to invalidate the compromised credential because disabling the key in Identity and Access Management immediately revokes its authentication capability across all Google Cloud resources, regardless of whether the key file remains publicly exposed on GitHub. Unlike deleting the key or the service account, disabling it stops all current and future use of that specific key without disrupting other keys or workloads attached to the same service account. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of incident response prioritization—many candidates mistakenly rush to delete the key or rotate the entire service account, but the exam emphasizes that disabling is the first containment step. A common trap is confusing key deletion with disabling; remember that deletion is permanent and can break automated processes, while disabling is reversible and safer for immediate response. Memory tip: “Disable first, delete later—stop the leak before you clean the deck.”
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of ensuring data protection. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 developer accidentally committed a file containing a service account key to a public GitHub repository. Which action should be taken immediately to invalidate the compromised key?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "immediately / without restart"
Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Disable the service account key using IAM.
Disabling the key immediately renders it unusable.
Delete the service account and create a new one.
Why wrong: Deleting the SA would affect all applications using it; only the key needs invalidation.
Use Cloud DLP to find and redact the key.
Why wrong: DLP can detect but cannot invalidate the key.
Rotate the key using Cloud KMS.
Why wrong: Cloud KMS manages encryption keys, not service account keys.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Disable the service account key using IAM.
Option A is correct because immediately disabling the service account key using IAM (Identity and Access Management) is the fastest way to revoke the compromised credential's access to Google Cloud resources. Disabling the key prevents any further use of that key for authentication, even if it is still present in the public repository. This action does not affect other keys or the service account itself, allowing the developer to later rotate or delete the key without disrupting existing workloads.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Disable the service account key using IAM.
Why this is correct
Disabling the key immediately renders it unusable.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Delete the service account and create a new one.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting the SA would affect all applications using it; only the key needs invalidation.
Use Cloud DLP to find and redact the key.
Why it's wrong here
DLP can detect but cannot invalidate the key.
Rotate the key using Cloud KMS.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud KMS manages encryption keys, not service account keys.
Common exam traps
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between 'disabling' a key (immediate revocation without side effects) and 'deleting' the service account (overly destructive), and candidates may confuse Cloud KMS (for encryption keys) with IAM (for service account keys).
Detailed technical explanation
Service account keys are asymmetric RSA key pairs (private key in the JSON file, public key stored in Google's IAM system). Disabling the key via the IAM API or gcloud command (e.g., `gcloud iam service-accounts keys disable`) immediately marks the public key as disabled in Google's backend, causing all authentication attempts using that private key to fail with a 401 Unauthorized error. This is a near-instant revocation, whereas deleting the key permanently removes it from IAM, but disabling is reversible if needed for incident investigation.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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
Ensuring data protection — This question tests Ensuring data protection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Disable the service account key using IAM. — Option A is correct because immediately disabling the service account key using IAM (Identity and Access Management) is the fastest way to revoke the compromised credential's access to Google Cloud resources. Disabling the key prevents any further use of that key for authentication, even if it is still present in the public repository. This action does not affect other keys or the service account itself, allowing the developer to later rotate or delete the key without disrupting existing workloads.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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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