The answer is to use an internal HTTPS load balancer and configure SSL certificates on the backend services. This is correct because it enables end-to-end encryption by terminating the client’s HTTPS connection at the load balancer, then re-encrypting the traffic to the backend instances using those configured certificates, ensuring no plaintext data travels between the load balancer and backends. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of load balancer encryption backend HTTPS requirements, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly choose an external load balancer or assume backend traffic is automatically encrypted. A common trap is forgetting that standard HTTP(S) load balancers only encrypt the client-to-load-balancer leg by default, leaving the backend leg unencrypted unless you explicitly enable HTTPS on the backend service. Memory tip: think “double encryption” — the load balancer acts as a secure relay, not a plaintext bridge.
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 retail company hosts an e-commerce website on Compute Engine behind an HTTPS load balancer. They want to encrypt traffic between the load balancer and backend instances. What should they do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use an internal HTTPS load balancer and configure SSL certificates on backend services.
Option B is correct because an internal HTTPSload balancer in Google Cloud can terminate HTTPS from clients and re-encrypt traffic to backend instances using SSL certificates configured on the backend services. This ensures end-to-end encryption between the load balancer and backends, meeting the requirement to encrypt traffic in that segment.
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.
✗
Enable HTTPS only between clients and load balancer; backend traffic uses HTTP.
Why it's wrong here
Backend traffic would be unencrypted.
✓
Use an internal HTTPS load balancer and configure SSL certificates on backend services.
Why this is correct
Internal HTTPS LB can terminate SSL and re-encrypt to backends.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Apply Cloud Armor policy to enforce TLS between load balancer and backends.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Armor does not encrypt traffic; it provides WAF capabilities.
✗
Use Cloud VPN to connect load balancer to backend instances.
Why it's wrong here
VPN is for connecting networks, not for load balancer-to-backend encryption.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume Cloud Armor can enforce TLS encryption, but Cloud Armor only applies security policies (e.g., IP allow/deny, rate limiting) and does not handle SSL/TLS termination or re-encryption between the load balancer and backends.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When configuring an internal HTTPS load balancer with SSL certificates on backend services, the load balancer terminates the client TLS connection and initiates a new TLS connection to the backend instances using the configured certificates. This is distinct from using an external HTTPS load balancer, which by default sends traffic to backends over HTTP unless you explicitly enable backend HTTPS. In practice, you must also ensure backend instances are configured to accept HTTPS (e.g., with a web server like Nginx or Apache listening on port 443) and that the load balancer's health checks use HTTPS.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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 — 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: Use an internal HTTPS load balancer and configure SSL certificates on backend services. — Option B is correct because an internal HTTPS load balancer in Google Cloud can terminate HTTPS from clients and re-encrypt traffic to backend instances using SSL certificates configured on the backend services. This ensures end-to-end encryption between the load balancer and backends, meeting the requirement to encrypt traffic in that segment.
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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