Google Cloud Security Best Practices

Securing GCP Services - Best Practices & Implementations Step by Step

What you'll learn
- Best Practices for Google Cloud Security
- Understand the Shared Responsibility Model in Google Cloud and how to divide security responsibilities between Google and the customer.
- Identify and use key GCP security services such as Cloud IAM, Cloud KMS, Cloud Audit Logs, and VPC Service Controls to protect infrastructure and data.
- Apply core security foundations across Identity, Network, Data, and Operations within the GCP environment.
- Implement least privilege access, zero trust architecture, and defense-in-depth strategies for securing cloud workloads.
- Configure and enforce IAM policies to prevent access from personal accounts and limit access to only approved users and groups.
- Set up and manage Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and enforce security key usage for privileged admin accounts.
- Disable risky practices like project-wide SSH keys, IP forwarding, and serial port access on VM instances.
- Safeguard service account usage by avoiding default and user-managed keys, limiting their scope, and implementing custom roles with least privileges.
- Rotate KMS encryption keys automatically and secure data stored in Cloud Storage by enabling uniform bucket-level access and preventing public access.
- Configure VPC Flow Logs for network traffic monitoring and detect anomalous behavior across subnets.
- Use Cloud Audit Logging to capture administrative and data access activities, and set up log sinks and retention policies for compliance.
- Enforce HTTPS on App Engine, require SSL connections to Cloud SQL, and restrict public IP access to GCP services.
- Set up automated backups for Cloud SQL instances and ensure BigQuery datasets are never unintentionally shared publicly.
- Gain hands-on experience with CLI and Console-based implementation steps for all best practices covered.
- Build a secure, compliant, and scalable Google Cloud environment aligned with global security and privacy standards like ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, and CIS Benchmarks.

Requirements
- A basic understanding of Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services
- Familiarity with cloud computing concepts
- A willingness to explore security-first thinking

Description
This course,Google Cloud Security Best Practices, is an in-depth, practical guide designed for cloud professionals, security engineers, architects, system administrators, and compliance officers who want to secure their workloads onGoogle Cloud Platform (GCP). As cloud environments grow increasingly complex, adopting a proactive and structured security posture is no longer optional—it is essential. This course equips learners with both the conceptual understanding and the technical implementation skills needed to build, manage, and scale secure cloud environments in GCP.

We begin by demystifying theShared Responsibility Modelin GCP, establishing a clear understanding of which security controls are managed by Google and which fall under the customer's responsibility. This is followed by anoverview of GCP’s native security services, such as Cloud IAM, Cloud KMS, VPC Service Controls, Cloud Audit Logging, and Security Command Center, each designed to strengthen different aspects of the cloud security architecture.

The course dives deep into thefoundational pillars of cloud security—Identity, Network, Data, and Operations—and teaches how to applykey principleslike least privilege, defense in depth, and zero trust across GCP services. Students will gain hands-on knowledge through modules that includeensuring IAM policies don’t allow access to personal email accounts,enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA),enforcing security keys for admin accounts, andpreventing the use of user-managed service account keys.

We also cover crucial topics such asservice account permission restriction,automated KMS key rotation, andpreventing public access to Cloud Storage and BigQuery datasets. Network-level best practices includeenabling VPC Flow Logs,blocking project-wide SSH keys, anddisabling serial port and IP forwardingon VM instances. Additionally, students will learn how toenable OS Login for centralized SSH access,configure Cloud Audit Logs,set up log sinks, anddefine log retention policies.

Data protection topics coverenforcing HTTPS for App Engine,requiring SSL for Cloud SQL,restricting public IP access, andenabling automated backupsto safeguard against data loss. Each module includesclear implementation steps, ensuring students can directly apply what they learn using the GCP Console or gcloud CLI.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to design and maintain a secure GCP environment that aligns with modern cloud security frameworks and compliance standards such asCIS Benchmarks, ISO 27001, NIST 800-53, PCI-DSS, andHIPAA. This course is essential for any team seeking to operationalize security at scale within GCP.

Who this course is for:
- Cloud Security Engineers looking to implement GCP security best practices across infrastructure and applications
- Cloud Architects and DevOps Engineers responsible for designing and deploying secure Google Cloud environments
- Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) and System Administrators tasked with managing GCP operational and access controls
- IT Operations Teams who need to harden cloud deployments and enforce security configurations at scale
- Compliance Officers and Audit Professionals seeking to align GCP security with regulatory standards like PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and NIST
- Engineering Managers and Technical Leads overseeing cloud teams and infrastructure security governance
- IT Governance and Risk Management Teams aiming to implement controls for data protection, logging, and least privilege access
- GCP Certification Candidates, especially those pursuing the Professional Cloud Security Engineer credential
- Developers and Technical Stakeholders working in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and public sector
- Organizations transitioning to Google Cloud and needing structured guidance to build a secure and compliant cloud foundation
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