Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer Practice Exam

What security measure is recommended to prevent person-in-the-middle attacks in a Google Cloud environment?

1. Use a password manager for secure access

2. Implement two-factor authentication

3. Utilize a security key

4. Regularly change user passwords

The correct answer is: Utilize a security key

Utilizing a security key is a robust measure to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks in a Google Cloud environment. Security keys provide an additional layer of authentication through hardware-based devices that generate cryptographic responses. This process ensures that even if an attacker attempts to intercept the communication, they would still lack the physical device needed to complete the authentication process. Moreover, security keys typically leverage the FIDO (Fast Identity Online) standards, which offer strong protection against phishing and replay attacks, further enhancing the security of sensitive transactions and communications. By requiring physical possession of the security key, organizations can significantly reduce the chances of unauthorized access, reinforcing the integrity of user sessions in the cloud environment. In contrast, while other options like password managers, two-factor authentication, and changing passwords have their own importance in a multi-layered security framework, they do not specifically address the direct prevention of man-in-the-middle attacks as effectively as a security key does. For example, password managers help manage credentials securely, and two-factor authentication adds an additional step, but if an attacker is able to intercept the authentication process, these measures could potentially be circumvented. Regularly changing passwords can help reduce risk, but it also does not stop a skilled attacker from intercepting communication in real-time