Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer Practice Exam

What method should be used to prevent developers from creating user-managed service account keys in Google Cloud?

1. Regular audits of service account usage

2. Establishing IAM policies

3. Enabling an organization policy

4. Educating developers about key management

The correct answer is: Enabling an organization policy

Enabling an organization policy is the most effective method to prevent developers from creating user-managed service account keys in Google Cloud. Organization policies in Google Cloud allow administrators to define restrictions and controls that apply at the organization or folder level. By configuring an organization policy that specifically restricts the creation of these keys, an organization can enforce compliance across all projects and resources within the Google Cloud environment. This proactive approach is beneficial because it provides a centralized way to manage key creation permissions, ensuring that developers do not inadvertently create service account keys that could lead to security vulnerabilities. This policy can be tailored to meet specific security requirements, further enhancing the organization’s security posture. While regular audits of service account usage, establishing IAM policies, and educating developers about key management are all important practices in maintaining security, they do not provide the direct preventive measure that an organization policy does. Audits can help identify existing issues but do not stop the creation of keys beforehand. IAM policies can control many aspects of permissions, but they may not be as comprehensive or straightforward as an organization policy specifically designed to block user-managed service account key creation. Educating developers is crucial for fostering a security-conscious culture, but it relies on individual awareness rather than enforced compliance. Thus, enabling an organization policy directly