Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer Practice Exam

What action should be taken to validate security policy changes before enforcement?

1. Run an audit report

2. Use rules in preview mode in Google Cloud Armor

3. Monitor user activity logs

4. Implement immediate enforcement on all applications

The correct answer is: Use rules in preview mode in Google Cloud Armor

Using rules in preview mode in Google Cloud Armor is the correct action to validate security policy changes before enforcement. This approach allows you to test new rules without committing to them immediately, thereby observing how these rules would behave in real scenarios. Preview mode enables you to receive feedback on the impact of the rules by allowing legitimate traffic while logging any potentially malicious requests that would have been blocked if the rules were fully enforced. This validation process is crucial because it ensures that any changes to your security policies do not inadvertently disrupt legitimate traffic or cause service availability issues. By reviewing the logs generated in preview mode, you can make informed adjustments to ensure that your security measures are effective and aligned with the intended traffic patterns. The other actions, while relevant to monitoring and maintaining security, do not specifically address the need for pre-enforcement validation of security policy changes. For instance, running an audit report provides insights on past configurations and compliance but does not assess the immediate impacts of new changes. Monitoring user activity logs, while useful for understanding traffic behavior, does not actively validate policy changes before they are enforced. Lastly, implementing immediate enforcement on all applications carries a risk of unintended disruptions and should be avoided without prior testing and validation to mitigate those risks.