- A
Create a sink with filter: 'resource.type="gce_subnetwork" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip="0.0.0.0/0"'
Why wrong: Source IP filter is irrelevant; also the filter syntax is incorrect.
- B
Create a sink with filter: 'resource.type="gce_subnetwork" AND jsonPayload.reporter="src" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip="0.0.0.0/0"'
Why wrong: Filtering on reporter=src and dest_ip=0.0.0.0/0 is not valid; also it captures only traffic reported by source.
- C
Create a sink with filter: 'resource.type="gce_subnetwork" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="10.0.0.0/8" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="172.16.0.0/12" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="192.168.0.0/16"'
This filter captures VPC flow logs where destination IP is not in private ranges, thus external traffic.
- D
Create a sink with filter: 'compute.googleapis.com/vpc_flows'
Why wrong: This filter captures all VPC flow logs, which is too broad and not focused on external traffic.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create a log sink filter that excludes RFC 1918 private IP ranges, specifically using `jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="10.0.0.0/8"`, `!="172.16.0.0/12"`, and `!="192.168.0.0/16"` with `resource.type="gce_subnetwork"`. This filter is correct because it captures VPC flow logs for traffic destined to external IP addresses by explicitly negating internal network ranges, allowing the security engineer to isolate unusual outbound traffic for data exfiltration investigation. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this tests your understanding of log-based metrics and sink filters for threat detection, often appearing as a scenario where you must distinguish between internal and external destinations. A common trap is forgetting that VPC flow logs use `gce_subnetwork` as the resource type, not `gce_instance`, or attempting to use a positive filter for external IPs, which is impractical. Memory tip: think "Exclude the Private Trio" — 10, 172, and 192 — to catch all external traffic.
PCSE Practice Question: Managing operations in a cloud solution environment
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of managing operations in a cloud solution environment. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 security engineer needs to investigate a potential data exfiltration incident in a Google Cloud environment. The engineer has access to Cloud Logging and wants to identify any unusual outbound network traffic from Compute Engine instances. Which log sink filter should the engineer create to capture VPC flow logs for traffic destined to an external IP address not in the internal network ranges?
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
Create a sink with filter: 'resource.type="gce_subnetwork" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="10.0.0.0/8" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="172.16.0.0/12" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="192.168.0.0/16"'
Option C is correct because it uses a log sink filter that captures VPC flow logs for traffic destined to external IP addresses by explicitly excluding the private RFC 1918 address ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16). This filter ensures only outbound traffic to non-internal IPs is captured, which is essential for investigating potential data exfiltration. The filter correctly uses the `resource.type="gce_subnetwork"` to target VPC flow logs from Compute Engine instances.
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.
- ✗
Create a sink with filter: 'resource.type="gce_subnetwork" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip="0.0.0.0/0"'
Why it's wrong here
Source IP filter is irrelevant; also the filter syntax is incorrect.
- ✗
Create a sink with filter: 'resource.type="gce_subnetwork" AND jsonPayload.reporter="src" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip="0.0.0.0/0"'
Why it's wrong here
Filtering on reporter=src and dest_ip=0.0.0.0/0 is not valid; also it captures only traffic reported by source.
- ✓
Create a sink with filter: 'resource.type="gce_subnetwork" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="10.0.0.0/8" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="172.16.0.0/12" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="192.168.0.0/16"'
Why this is correct
This filter captures VPC flow logs where destination IP is not in private ranges, thus external traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a sink with filter: 'compute.googleapis.com/vpc_flows'
Why it's wrong here
This filter captures all VPC flow logs, which is too broad and not focused on external traffic.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that you can use `0.0.0.0/0` as a wildcard in log filters to match any IP, but in Cloud Logging filters, CIDR notation is not supported for matching; you must explicitly exclude private ranges to capture external traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPC flow logs in Google Cloud are generated at the subnet level and captured as log entries with `resource.type="gce_subnetwork"`. The `jsonPayload.reporter` field indicates whether the flow was reported by the source (`src`) or destination (`dst`) VM, and for outbound traffic investigation, only `src` reporter entries are relevant. The `jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip` field contains the actual destination IP address, and filtering out RFC 1918 private ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16) is the standard method to isolate external traffic, as these ranges are never routable on the public internet.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Managing operations in a cloud solution environment — This question tests Managing operations in 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: Create a sink with filter: 'resource.type="gce_subnetwork" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="10.0.0.0/8" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="172.16.0.0/12" AND jsonPayload.connection.dest_ip!="192.168.0.0/16"' — Option C is correct because it uses a log sink filter that captures VPC flow logs for traffic destined to external IP addresses by explicitly excluding the private RFC 1918 address ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16). This filter ensures only outbound traffic to non-internal IPs is captured, which is essential for investigating potential data exfiltration. The filter correctly uses the `resource.type="gce_subnetwork"` to target VPC flow logs from Compute Engine instances.
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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