- A
IAM Recommender
Why wrong: IAM Recommender suggests IAM policy changes, not data inspection.
- B
Cloud KMS
Why wrong: Cloud KMS manages encryption keys, not inspection or de-identification.
- C
Dataplex
Why wrong: Dataplex provides data quality rules and metadata management, not DLP.
- D
Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Cloud DLP is designed for inspection and de-identification of sensitive data.
PDE Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of maintaining and automating data workloads. 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.
You need to inspect a BigQuery table for sensitive data such as credit card numbers and apply masking. Which GCP service should you use to identify and de-identify the data?
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
Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Cloud DLP can automatically inspect BigQuery tables for sensitive data types (credit card numbers, etc.) and apply de-identification transforms like masking, tokenization, etc.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
IAM Recommender
Why it's wrong here
IAM Recommender suggests IAM policy changes, not data inspection.
- ✗
Cloud KMS
Why it's wrong here
Cloud KMS manages encryption keys, not inspection or de-identification.
- ✗
Dataplex
Why it's wrong here
Dataplex provides data quality rules and metadata management, not DLP.
- ✓
Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Why this is correct
Cloud DLP is designed for inspection and de-identification of sensitive data.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
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.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related PDE subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
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Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads — This question tests Maintaining and Automating Data Workloads — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP) — Cloud DLP can automatically inspect BigQuery tables for sensitive data types (credit card numbers, etc.) and apply de-identification transforms like masking, tokenization, etc.
What should I do if I get this PDE question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related PDE subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PDE 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 PDE exam.
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