PCSE Supporting compliance requirements Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of supporting compliance requirements. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Exhibit: BigQuery query results:
```sql
SELECT
column1,
column2
FROM
`my-project.my_dataset.my_table`
WHERE
column1 LIKE '%ssn%'
```
Output: Returns one row with column1 = "SSN: 123-45-6789".
A security engineer runs the above query in BigQuery and finds a column containing Social Security Numbers (SSNs). They must ensure that all SSNs in the dataset are automatically encrypted at rest using customer-managed keys (CMEK) and also that future queries do not expose SSNs to users without decryption access. Which approach should they take?
Refer to the exhibit.
Exhibit: BigQuery query results:
```sql
SELECT
column1,
column2
FROM
`my-project.my_dataset.my_table`
WHERE
column1 LIKE '%ssn%'
```
Output: Returns one row with column1 = "SSN: 123-45-6789".
A
Use BigQuery with CMEK on the dataset and create a separate table with encrypted columns.
Why wrong: CMEK encrypts the whole dataset, not specific columns.
B
Use Cloud DLP to de-identify the data in the table and then restrict access to the de-identified column.
Why wrong: DLP de-identification can transform data, but it does not provide encryption at rest for the original data.
C
Use Cloud KMS to encrypt the column values and store the encrypted data in BigQuery.
Why wrong: Application-level encryption would require custom code; not native BigQuery feature.
D
Enable CMEK on the dataset, create an authorized view that excludes the sensitive column, and grant view access to users.
CMEK secures data at rest, and authorized views limit exposure.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable CMEK on the dataset, create an authorized view that excludes the sensitive column, and grant view access to users.
Option D is correct because enabling CMEK on the dataset ensures all data, including SSNs, is encrypted at rest with customer-managed keys. Creating an authorized view that excludes the sensitive column and granting view access to users prevents exposure of SSNs in query results while still allowing access to non-sensitive data. This approach meets both the encryption and access control requirements without requiring manual encryption or de-identification.
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 BigQuery with CMEK on the dataset and create a separate table with encrypted columns.
Why it's wrong here
CMEK encrypts the whole dataset, not specific columns.
✗
Use Cloud DLP to de-identify the data in the table and then restrict access to the de-identified column.
Why it's wrong here
DLP de-identification can transform data, but it does not provide encryption at rest for the original data.
✗
Use Cloud KMS to encrypt the column values and store the encrypted data in BigQuery.
Why it's wrong here
Application-level encryption would require custom code; not native BigQuery feature.
✓
Enable CMEK on the dataset, create an authorized view that excludes the sensitive column, and grant view access to users.
Why this is correct
CMEK secures data at rest, and authorized views limit exposure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that manual encryption (e.g., Cloud KMS or DLP) is required for column-level protection, when in fact BigQuery's native CMEK combined with authorized views provides automatic encryption at rest and access control without custom encryption logic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
BigQuery CMEK uses Cloud KMS to wrap a data encryption key (DEK) that encrypts table data at rest; the DEK is stored near the data and unwrapped only when the data is read. An authorized view is a BigQuery view that can access underlying tables but restricts column access based on the view definition; it uses the view owner's permissions, not the caller's, so users with view access cannot bypass the column exclusion. This combination ensures SSNs are encrypted at rest and never exposed in query results, even if the underlying table is directly queried by unauthorized users.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Supporting compliance requirements — This question tests Supporting compliance requirements — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable CMEK on the dataset, create an authorized view that excludes the sensitive column, and grant view access to users. — Option D is correct because enabling CMEK on the dataset ensures all data, including SSNs, is encrypted at rest with customer-managed keys. Creating an authorized view that excludes the sensitive column and granting view access to users prevents exposure of SSNs in query results while still allowing access to non-sensitive data. This approach meets both the encryption and access control requirements without requiring manual encryption or de-identification.
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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