- A
Use Cloud Interconnect to connect the two VPCs and configure BGP to advertise a default route from the appliance VPC.
Why wrong: Overkill and expensive; not needed for within the same region.
- B
Use Private Google Access to route traffic through the appliance.
Why wrong: Private Google Access is for accessing Google APIs privately, not for general egress inspection.
- C
Deploy the appliance in a separate VPC and create a route with next hop as the appliance's internal IP, and tag the VMs that need inspection.
This is the recommended pattern: use instance-level routes with next hop to the appliance.
- D
Deploy the appliance in a separate VPC and use VPC Network Peering with route export/import to redirect traffic.
Why wrong: This works but requires careful route management and is less scalable than a centralized appliance.
Quick Answer
The answer is to deploy the appliance in a separate VPC and create a route with the next hop as the appliance's internal IP, using VM tags to selectively route traffic through it. This works because a custom route with a next hop to an internal IP address in a peered VPC forces egress traffic to that appliance for inspection, while tags allow you to apply the route only to specific instances without modifying routes for every VM. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of scalable traffic steering without complex VPNs or interconnects; a common trap is choosing a default route to a VPN tunnel or NAT gateway, which lacks the granularity of tags. Remember the key: tags decouple routing policy from instance configuration, making maintenance far easier. Memory tip: think of tags as “selective signposts” that point only tagged VMs toward the firewall, leaving others to route normally.
PCSE Configuring network security Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network security. 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.
Your organization requires that all egress traffic from a VPC network be inspected by a third-party security appliance before leaving the network. The appliance is deployed in a separate VPC. What is the most scalable and maintainable way to route traffic through the appliance?
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
Deploy the appliance in a separate VPC and create a route with next hop as the appliance's internal IP, and tag the VMs that need inspection.
Option C is correct because it uses a route with a next hop of the appliance's internal IP, combined with VM tags to selectively route egress traffic through the appliance. This approach is scalable and maintainable as it avoids complex peering or interconnect setups, and tags allow granular control without modifying routes for every VM.
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 Cloud Interconnect to connect the two VPCs and configure BGP to advertise a default route from the appliance VPC.
Why it's wrong here
Overkill and expensive; not needed for within the same region.
- ✗
Use Private Google Access to route traffic through the appliance.
Why it's wrong here
Private Google Access is for accessing Google APIs privately, not for general egress inspection.
- ✓
Deploy the appliance in a separate VPC and create a route with next hop as the appliance's internal IP, and tag the VMs that need inspection.
Why this is correct
This is the recommended pattern: use instance-level routes with next hop to the appliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Deploy the appliance in a separate VPC and use VPC Network Peering with route export/import to redirect traffic.
Why it's wrong here
This works but requires careful route management and is less scalable than a centralized appliance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that VPC Network Peering with route export/import is the simplest way to route traffic between VPCs, but the trap here is that peering creates a full mesh of routes, which can cause asymmetric routing and does not allow selective egress-only inspection without additional complex filtering.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the route with next hop as the appliance's internal IP uses the VPC's internal routing table to forward traffic to the appliance's network interface. Tags allow the route to apply only to VMs with specific tags, enabling selective inspection without affecting all VMs. In a real-world scenario, this is often combined with a default route (0.0.0.0/0) pointing to the appliance, ensuring all outbound traffic is inspected while maintaining low latency within the VPC.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Configuring network security — This question tests Configuring network security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy the appliance in a separate VPC and create a route with next hop as the appliance's internal IP, and tag the VMs that need inspection. — Option C is correct because it uses a route with a next hop of the appliance's internal IP, combined with VM tags to selectively route egress traffic through the appliance. This approach is scalable and maintainable as it avoids complex peering or interconnect setups, and tags allow granular control without modifying routes for every VM.
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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