Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer Practice Exam

What is the first step for conducting security scanning of container images in Google Cloud?

1. Upload the images to a public repository

2. Enable vulnerability scanning in Artifact Registry settings

3. Set up Cloud Audit Logs

4. Create a new GKE cluster

The correct answer is: Enable vulnerability scanning in Artifact Registry settings

The first step for conducting security scanning of container images in Google Cloud is to enable vulnerability scanning in Artifact Registry settings. This capability allows you to scan container images for potential vulnerabilities as part of your image management process. Artifact Registry is the repository service that supports storing and managing container images, and enabling vulnerability scanning ensures that every image is assessed for known security issues before deployment. By activating this feature, you can automatically get a report on vulnerabilities associated with the images stored in the registry, helping developers and security teams to detect and remediate potential risks early in the development lifecycle. This proactive approach is critical in maintaining the security posture of applications that rely on these container images. The other options, such as uploading images to a public repository or creating a new Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster, do not directly involve the initial setup necessary for vulnerability scanning. Setting up Cloud Audit Logs, while important for tracking actions and providing a secure environment, is also not the first step in specifically enabling the vulnerability scanning process for container images.