Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer Practice Exam

Which Google Cloud service enables VM instances without external IP addresses to connect to the internet?

1. Cloud NAT

2. Cloud VPN

3. HTTPS Load Balancer

4. Cloud Router

The correct answer is: Cloud NAT

The correct answer is Cloud NAT, and here's why it is the appropriate choice for enabling virtual machine (VM) instances without external IP addresses to connect to the internet. Cloud NAT (Network Address Translation) is designed specifically to allow outbound connectivity for Google Cloud VM instances that are configured without external IP addresses. When VM instances need to reach the internet for tasks such as software updates or API calls, Cloud NAT provides a way for these instances to do so while still maintaining their lack of external IPs. This enhances security by reducing the exposure of VMs to direct internet access, making them less vulnerable to certain types of attacks. Cloud NAT works by handling the outbound traffic from the private IPs of instances within a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) subnet. When a VM instance sends a request to the internet, Cloud NAT translates the private IP address of the VM to a public IP address. While the other options such as Cloud VPN, the HTTPS Load Balancer, and Cloud Router serve vital roles in networking and securing communication, they do not specifically provide the necessary functionality for enabling internet access from instances that lack external IP addresses. Cloud VPN, for instance, is focused on creating secure connections between your VPC and on-premises networks, whereas the HTTPS Load