Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer Practice Exam

What is the recommended method to securely access private VMs remotely on Google Cloud?

1. Create a firewall rule for public IP access.

2. Use Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) for SSH access.

3. Utilize a dedicated VPN gateway.

4. Directly expose the VMs to the internet for quick access.

The correct answer is: Use Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) for SSH access.

Using Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP) for SSH access is the recommended method for securely accessing private VMs remotely on Google Cloud. IAP provides a secure and controlled way to access your VMs without requiring them to have public IP addresses. Instead of exposing the VM to the internet, IAP allows you to authenticate users based on their Google accounts, which means only authorized individuals can access the resources. IAP effectively handles the authentication and authorization, leveraging Google’s secure infrastructure, which minimizes the risk of exposure to the public internet. This also helps in maintaining compliance with security standards by ensuring that access is logged and monitored. On the other hand, creating a firewall rule for public IP access involves opening up VMs to potential security threats, exposing them to unwanted traffic and attacks. Utilizing a dedicated VPN gateway may provide an alternative secure access method, but it adds complexity and requires additional configuration compared to the simplicity and efficiency of IAP. Directly exposing VMs to the internet for quick access is highly discouraged, as it significantly increases the risk of unauthorized access and attacks on those instances.