Service account keys management in GCP - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a service account key in Google Cloud?

A service account key is a special credential file that allows applications or users to authenticate as a service account to access Google Cloud resources securely.

intermediate

Why should you avoid long-lived service account keys?

Long-lived keys increase the risk of unauthorized access if the key is leaked. It's best to rotate keys regularly and delete unused keys to keep your environment secure.

intermediate

How can you rotate a service account key safely?

Create a new key, update your applications to use the new key, then delete the old key once the new key is confirmed working.

advanced

What is the recommended way to manage service account keys instead of downloading them?

Use Workload Identity Federation or Google Cloud IAM roles with short-lived tokens to avoid managing long-lived keys.

beginner

Where can you manage service account keys in Google Cloud Console?

In the Google Cloud Console, go to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts, select the service account, then go to the Keys tab to create, view, or delete keys.

What is the main risk of keeping service account keys for a long time?

A They can be leaked and used by attackers

B They expire automatically

C They slow down your application

D They increase your billing costs

Long-lived keys can be stolen and used by unauthorized users to access your cloud resources.

Which of the following is a best practice for service account key management?

A Share keys via email

B Use the same key for all projects

C Rotate keys regularly

D Never delete old keys

Regular key rotation reduces the risk of compromised keys being used.

Where do you find the option to create a new service account key in Google Cloud Console?

A Compute Engine > VM Instances

B IAM & Admin > Service Accounts > Keys tab

C Cloud Storage > Buckets

D Billing > Payment Settings

Service account keys are managed under IAM & Admin in the Service Accounts section.

What is a safer alternative to using service account keys for authentication?

A Disabling authentication

B Using user passwords

C Sharing keys publicly

D Workload Identity Federation

Workload Identity Federation allows short-lived credentials without managing long-lived keys.

What should you do after creating a new service account key for rotation?

A Delete the old key after updating applications

B Keep both keys active forever

C Share the key with everyone

D Ignore the new key

Deleting old keys after updating ensures no unused keys remain that could be compromised.

Explain the steps to safely rotate a service account key in Google Cloud.

Think about how to avoid downtime and security risks.

Describe why managing service account keys properly is important for cloud security.

Consider what happens if keys fall into the wrong hands.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of a service account key in Google Cloud?

easy

A. To manage billing information for Google Cloud projects

B. To store user passwords for Google Cloud accounts

C. To allow programs to securely access Google Cloud resources

D. To create virtual machines automatically

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand service account keys

   Service account keys are used by programs, not humans, to access Google Cloud securely.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct purpose

   They provide credentials for applications to authenticate and interact with cloud services.

3. Final Answer:

   To allow programs to securely access Google Cloud resources -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Service account keys = secure program access [OK]

Hint: Keys let programs access cloud securely, not users [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing keys with user passwords
• Thinking keys manage billing
• Believing keys create virtual machines

2. Which gcloud command correctly creates a new service account key for the account [e-mail]?

easy

A. gcloud iam service-accounts keys create key.json --iam-account=[e-mail]

B. gcloud iam service-accounts create key.json --account=[e-mail]

C. gcloud service-accounts keys create key.json --account=[e-mail]

D. gcloud iam keys create key.json --iam-account=[e-mail]

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct gcloud command syntax

   The correct command to create a key is gcloud iam service-accounts keys create with the --iam-account flag.

2. Step 2: Match the command with the options

   gcloud iam service-accounts keys create key.json --iam-account=[e-mail] matches the correct syntax exactly.

3. Final Answer:

   gcloud iam service-accounts keys create key.json --iam-account=[e-mail] -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Correct command syntax = gcloud iam service-accounts keys create key.json --iam-account=[e-mail] [OK]

Hint: Use 'iam service-accounts keys create' with --iam-account [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'create' without 'keys'
• Wrong flag like --account instead of --iam-account
• Omitting 'iam' in the command

3. What will be the output of the following command?

gcloud iam service-accounts keys list --iam-account=[e-mail]

Assuming there are two active keys for this service account.

medium

A. A prompt to create a new key

B. An error saying no keys found

C. A list of all service accounts in the project

D. A list showing details of the two active keys including key IDs and creation dates

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the command purpose

   The command lists keys for the specified service account.

2. Step 2: Interpret expected output

   Since two active keys exist, the output will show their details like key IDs and creation dates.

3. Final Answer:

   A list showing details of the two active keys including key IDs and creation dates -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Listing keys shows active keys details [OK]

Hint: List keys command shows active keys info [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Expecting an error if keys exist
• Confusing keys list with service accounts list
• Thinking it prompts for key creation

4. You run the command:

gcloud iam service-accounts keys delete 123abc --iam-account=[e-mail]

But get an error saying the key ID does not exist. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The key ID is incorrect or does not belong to the specified service account

B. The service account email is misspelled

C. You need to create a new key before deleting

D. The project ID is missing from the command

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the error message

   The error says the key ID does not exist, meaning the key ID is invalid or not linked to the service account.

2. Step 2: Check command components

   The service account email may be correct, and project ID is not required here if default is set. Creating a key before deleting is unnecessary.

3. Final Answer:

   The key ID is incorrect or does not belong to the specified service account -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Invalid key ID causes deletion error [OK]

Hint: Check key ID matches service account keys [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming project ID is mandatory in this command
• Thinking you must create a key before deleting
• Ignoring key ID correctness

5. You want to rotate service account keys to improve security. Which sequence of actions is the best practice?

hard

A. Delete the old key first, then create a new key and update applications

B. Create a new key, update your applications to use it, then delete the old key

C. Create multiple keys and use them all simultaneously without deleting any

D. Keep using the old key until it expires, then create a new key

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand key rotation best practice

   To avoid downtime, first create a new key and update applications to use it.

2. Step 2: Remove old key after update

   Once applications use the new key, delete the old key to reduce risk.

3. Final Answer:

   Create a new key, update your applications to use it, then delete the old key -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   New key first, then delete old key [OK]

Hint: Add new key before deleting old one to avoid downtime [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Deleting old key before updating apps
• Using multiple keys unnecessarily
• Waiting for old key to expire before rotating