IAM deny policies in GCP - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is an IAM deny policy in Google Cloud?

An IAM deny policy explicitly blocks certain actions or permissions, even if other policies allow them. It acts like a stop sign to prevent access.

beginner

How does an IAM deny policy differ from an allow policy?

Allow policies grant permissions to users or groups. Deny policies block permissions, overriding any allow policies that might grant access.

intermediate

Can an IAM deny policy be overridden by an allow policy?

No. Deny policies take precedence and cannot be overridden by allow policies. They always block the specified permissions.

intermediate

Why would you use an IAM deny policy in your cloud environment?

To add an extra layer of security by explicitly blocking risky or unwanted actions, even if other policies allow them. It helps prevent accidental or malicious access.

beginner

What happens if a user has both an allow and a deny policy for the same permission?

The deny policy wins. The user will be blocked from performing that action despite the allow policy.

What does an IAM deny policy do in Google Cloud?

A Creates new user accounts

B Grants permissions to users

C Logs user activities

D Blocks specified permissions even if allowed elsewhere

An IAM deny policy explicitly blocks permissions, overriding any allow policies.

If a user has an allow and a deny policy for the same permission, what happens?

A Deny policy takes precedence

B Allow policy takes precedence

C Both policies are ignored

D User gets partial access

Deny policies always override allow policies to block access.

Why use an IAM deny policy?

A To speed up network traffic

B To explicitly block risky actions

C To create new projects

D To monitor billing

Deny policies add security by blocking unwanted permissions.

Which statement is true about IAM deny policies?

A They override allow policies

B They are optional and ignored by default

C They grant permissions

D They only apply to service accounts

Deny policies override allow policies and apply to all identities.

Can an IAM deny policy be used to block access to a specific resource?

A Only if the user is an admin

B No, deny policies apply globally only

C Yes, deny policies can target specific resources

D Only if the resource is a VM

Deny policies can be scoped to specific resources to block access precisely.

Explain how IAM deny policies work and why they are important in Google Cloud security.

Think about how a stop sign works in traffic.

Describe a scenario where using an IAM deny policy would be beneficial.

Imagine you want to stop someone from entering a room even if they have a key.