- A
Enable Data Access audit logs for Cloud Storage and BigQuery, and store logs in the same project. Use CMEK for encryption.
Why wrong: Storing logs in the same project does not restrict access to audit logs.
- B
Use VPC Service Controls to create a perimeter around the project, and enable CMEK for encryption.
Why wrong: VPC Service Controls do not provide audit logging.
- C
Enable Admin Read audit logs for Cloud Storage and BigQuery, and store logs in a different project. Use CSEK for encryption.
Why wrong: Admin Read logs do not capture access to PHI; CSEK is not recommended and may not meet HIPAA requirements.
- D
Enable Data Access audit logs for Cloud Storage and BigQuery, create a sink to route logs to a BigQuery dataset in a separate project, and use CMEK in the data project.
All requirements are met: logging enabled, logs stored separately with restricted access, and CMEK used.
Quick Answer
The answer is to enable Data Access audit logs for Cloud Storage and BigQuery, create a sink routing those logs to a BigQuery dataset in a separate project, and use CMEK in the data project. This configuration satisfies HIPAA audit logging encryption CMEK requirements because Data Access logs capture every read and write to protected health information (PHI), the sink isolates those logs in a restricted-access project, and customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) give the organization direct control over encryption at rest. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your ability to combine logging sinks with CMEK across project boundaries—a common trap is forgetting that Data Access logs must be explicitly enabled (they are off by default) or assuming that default encryption meets the “customer-managed” mandate. Remember the three-part rule: log everything with Data Access, isolate logs via sink, and encrypt with CMEK. A useful mnemonic is “LIE” for Log, Isolate, Encrypt.
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.
A healthcare organization is migrating applications to Google Cloud and must comply with HIPAA. They plan to store protected health information (PHI) in Cloud Storage and BigQuery. The security engineer needs to ensure that all access to PHI is logged and that the data is encrypted at rest with customer-managed keys. The organization also requires that any audit logs containing PHI are stored in a separate project with restricted access. Which course of action meets all requirements?
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
Enable Data Access audit logs for Cloud Storage and BigQuery, create a sink to route logs to a BigQuery dataset in a separate project, and use CMEK in the data project.
Option D is correct because it meets all requirements: Data Access audit logs capture every access to PHI, a sink routes those logs to a BigQuery dataset in a separate project (fulfilling the separate-project storage requirement), and CMEK (customer-managed encryption keys) ensures encryption at rest with keys controlled by the organization. This combination satisfies HIPAA logging, encryption, and restricted-access log storage mandates.
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 Data Access audit logs for Cloud Storage and BigQuery, and store logs in the same project. Use CMEK for encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Storing logs in the same project does not restrict access to audit logs.
- ✗
Use VPC Service Controls to create a perimeter around the project, and enable CMEK for encryption.
Why it's wrong here
VPC Service Controls do not provide audit logging.
- ✗
Enable Admin Read audit logs for Cloud Storage and BigQuery, and store logs in a different project. Use CSEK for encryption.
Why it's wrong here
Admin Read logs do not capture access to PHI; CSEK is not recommended and may not meet HIPAA requirements.
- ✓
Enable Data Access audit logs for Cloud Storage and BigQuery, create a sink to route logs to a BigQuery dataset in a separate project, and use CMEK in the data project.
Why this is correct
All requirements are met: logging enabled, logs stored separately with restricted access, and CMEK used.
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 distinction between Admin Read and Data Access audit logs, and the trap here is that candidates confuse Admin Read (which logs only admin actions) with Data Access (which logs all data access), leading them to choose Option C despite it failing the logging requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Data Access audit logs in Cloud Audit Logs capture every read, write, and metadata operation on Cloud Storage and BigQuery resources, which is essential for HIPAA compliance. A log sink with a BigQuery destination in a separate project uses a filter to route only the relevant logs, and the destination dataset can be locked down with IAM permissions to ensure restricted access. CMEK uses Cloud KMS to wrap data encryption keys, giving the organization full control over key rotation and revocation, unlike CSEK where Google holds the key material.
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
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
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 Data Access audit logs for Cloud Storage and BigQuery, create a sink to route logs to a BigQuery dataset in a separate project, and use CMEK in the data project. — Option D is correct because it meets all requirements: Data Access audit logs capture every access to PHI, a sink routes those logs to a BigQuery dataset in a separate project (fulfilling the separate-project storage requirement), and CMEK (customer-managed encryption keys) ensures encryption at rest with keys controlled by the organization. This combination satisfies HIPAA logging, encryption, and restricted-access log storage mandates.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on PCSE
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is deploying a new application that must comply with HIPAA. They are using Google Cloud services. Which TWO services are required to be enabled with appropriate configurations to support HIPAA compliance?
easy- ✓ A.Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) with customer-managed keys (CMEK)
- B.Cloud Armor
- ✓ C.Cloud Audit Logs
- D.Cloud Content Delivery Network (CDN)
- E.Cloud Functions
Why A: Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) with customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) is required for HIPAA compliance because it allows the customer to control the encryption keys used to protect protected health information (PHI) at rest. HIPAA mandates that covered entities implement mechanisms to encrypt and decrypt PHI, and using CMEK ensures the customer retains sole control over key material, which is a key requirement for meeting the Security Rule's addressable implementation specification for encryption.
Keep practising
More PCSE practice questions
- Match each IAM role to its typical use case.
- Match each encryption scope to its description.
- Match each CVE or security concept to its description.
- Match each Google Cloud logging/monitoring term to its definition.
- Drag and drop the steps to rotate a customer-managed encryption key (CMEK) in Cloud KMS in the correct order.
- Drag and drop the steps to configure a Cloud NAT for private VM instances in the correct order.
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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