- A
Enable Data Access audit logs for all Cloud Storage buckets.
Why wrong: Audit logs are important but do not directly protect cardholder data.
- B
Use Security Command Center to detect misconfigurations.
Why wrong: SCC provides visibility but is not a direct control to protect data.
- C
Configure VPC Service Controls to restrict data movement from managed services.
VPC Service Controls help prevent unauthorized data exfiltration, a PCI DSS requirement.
- D
Enable Shielded VMs on all Compute Engine instances.
Why wrong: Shielded VMs protect against boot-level attacks but are not specifically required for PCI DSS data protection.
- E
Use Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) to encrypt data at rest.
CMEK allows control over encryption keys, meeting PCI DSS key management requirements.
Quick Answer
The correct answers are VPC Service Controls and Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK). VPC Service Controls establish a security perimeter around managed services like BigQuery and Cloud Storage, preventing data exfiltration by blocking unauthorized data movement outside that boundary—a critical control for PCI DSS requirement 3.4, which mandates rendering cardholder data unreadable. CMEK fulfills this same requirement by giving you direct control over the encryption keys protecting data at rest, ensuring that even Google cannot access your keys. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between network-level exfiltration prevention (VPC Service Controls) and cryptographic key management (CMEK), two distinct but complementary PCI DSS data protection controls. A common trap is confusing CMEK with CSEK (customer-supplied encryption keys), but remember: CMEK gives you key management via Cloud KMS, while CSEK requires you to supply keys on every operation. Memory tip: “Perimeter plus key” equals PCI compliance—VPC Service Controls lock the door, CMEK locks the safe.
PCSE Supporting compliance requirements Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of supporting compliance requirements. 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 financial services company must ensure that its Google Cloud environment complies with PCI DSS. The security team needs to implement controls to protect cardholder data. Which TWO measures should they implement? (Choose TWO.)
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
Configure VPC Service Controls to restrict data movement from managed services.
C is correct because VPC Service Controls create a security perimeter around Google Cloud managed services, preventing data exfiltration by restricting data movement from within the perimeter to unauthorized external networks. This is critical for PCI DSS compliance as it helps protect cardholder data from unauthorized access or transfer. E is correct because Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) allow the organization to control and manage the encryption keys used to protect data at rest, meeting PCI DSS requirement 3.4 for rendering cardholder data unreadable.
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 all Cloud Storage buckets.
Why it's wrong here
Audit logs are important but do not directly protect cardholder data.
- ✗
Use Security Command Center to detect misconfigurations.
Why it's wrong here
SCC provides visibility but is not a direct control to protect data.
- ✓
Configure VPC Service Controls to restrict data movement from managed services.
Why this is correct
VPC Service Controls help prevent unauthorized data exfiltration, a PCI DSS requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable Shielded VMs on all Compute Engine instances.
Why it's wrong here
Shielded VMs protect against boot-level attacks but are not specifically required for PCI DSS data protection.
- ✓
Use Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) to encrypt data at rest.
Why this is correct
CMEK allows control over encryption keys, meeting PCI DSS key management requirements.
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 detective controls (like audit logs and Security Command Center) and preventive controls (like VPC Service Controls and CMEK), leading candidates to mistakenly select logging or detection options as direct compliance measures.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPC Service Controls use context-aware access policies that evaluate attributes like identity, device, and IP address to enforce data exfiltration prevention at the Google Cloud perimeter. CMEK integrates with Google Cloud Key Management Service (KMS) and allows customers to manage key rotation, disablement, and destruction independently of Google, ensuring compliance with PCI DSS requirement 3.5 for key management. A real-world scenario is a financial company using VPC Service Controls to prevent a compromised service account from copying cardholder data from BigQuery to an external bucket, while CMEK ensures that even if storage media is compromised, the data remains encrypted with customer-controlled keys.
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
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 — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Supporting compliance requirements practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PCSE questions
500 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PCSE practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PCSE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Configuring network security practice questions
Practise PCSE questions linked to Configuring network security.
Configuring access within a cloud solution environment practice questions
Practise PCSE questions linked to Configuring access within a cloud solution environment.
Ensuring data protection practice questions
Practise PCSE questions linked to Ensuring data protection.
Managing operations in a cloud solution environment practice questions
Practise PCSE questions linked to Managing operations in a cloud solution environment.
Supporting compliance requirements practice questions
Practise PCSE questions linked to Supporting compliance requirements.
PCSE fundamentals practice questions
Practise PCSE questions linked to PCSE fundamentals.
PCSE scenario practice questions
Practise PCSE questions linked to PCSE scenario.
PCSE troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PCSE questions linked to PCSE troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PCSE practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Configure VPC Service Controls to restrict data movement from managed services. — C is correct because VPC Service Controls create a security perimeter around Google Cloud managed services, preventing data exfiltration by restricting data movement from within the perimeter to unauthorized external networks. This is critical for PCI DSS compliance as it helps protect cardholder data from unauthorized access or transfer. E is correct because Customer-Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) allow the organization to control and manage the encryption keys used to protect data at rest, meeting PCI DSS requirement 3.4 for rendering cardholder data unreadable.
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 →
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.