- A
Disable the service account key
Disabling the key immediately prevents further unauthorized use.
- B
Create a new service account
Why wrong: This does not address the compromised key.
- C
Delete the service account
Why wrong: This may disrupt legitimate workloads; disabling the key is more targeted.
- D
Rotate the key and monitor
Why wrong: Rotating is good but disabling first is quicker for containment.
Question 764 of 1,000
CCSP Cloud Security Operations Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud security operations. 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 security analyst reviews GCP Security Command Center findings and sees a high-severity alert for Event Threat Detection indicating that a service account key was used from an unexpected location. What is the best immediate action to contain the threat?
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
✓
Disable the service account key
The correct immediate action is to disable the compromised service account key because Event Threat Detection has identified that the key is being used from an unexpected location, indicating potential unauthorized access. Disabling the key stops all further usage without deleting the service account or its other keys, preserving legitimate operations. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and incident response containment, as the key can later be rotated or deleted after investigation.
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.
- ✓
Disable the service account key
Why this is correct
Disabling the key immediately prevents further unauthorized use.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a new service account
Why it's wrong here
This does not address the compromised key.
- ✗
Delete the service account
Why it's wrong here
This may disrupt legitimate workloads; disabling the key is more targeted.
- ✗
Rotate the key and monitor
Why it's wrong here
Rotating is good but disabling first is quicker for containment.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'disable' and 'rotate' in key compromise scenarios, where candidates mistakenly choose rotation thinking it invalidates the old key, but rotation only creates a new key without disabling the old one unless explicitly done.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Service account keys in GCP are RSA private keys used for OAuth 2.0 authentication via the JWT bearer token flow (RFC 7523). When a key is compromised, disabling it in the IAM API immediately revokes its ability to generate access tokens, as the token endpoint checks the key's active status. In a real-world scenario, an attacker exfiltrating a key from a CI/CD pipeline could use it to access Cloud Storage or Compute Engine APIs; disabling the key within seconds prevents data exfiltration while the security team investigates the source of the leak.
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 developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
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 CCSP question test?
Cloud Security Operations — This question tests Cloud Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Disable the service account key — The correct immediate action is to disable the compromised service account key because Event Threat Detection has identified that the key is being used from an unexpected location, indicating potential unauthorized access. Disabling the key stops all further usage without deleting the service account or its other keys, preserving legitimate operations. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and incident response containment, as the key can later be rotated or deleted after investigation.
What should I do if I get this CCSP 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
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CCSP exam.
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