Google Cloud Security Best Practices [Cheat Sheet]

After reading this cheat sheet, you'll be able to:

Strengthen your GCP environment with best practices across identity, workloads, storage, and network.
Detect misconfigurations, enforce policies, and reduce risk using native GCP tools like SCC and VMTD.
Secure advanced services like Vertex AI and GKE with clear, actionable guidance.

Native tools, maximized:This cheat sheet shows how to get the most out of built-in Google Cloud tools—Security Command Center, VMTD, Cloud Logging, and more—for proactive, efficient security.
Full-stack protection:You’ll learn how to secure every layer of your environment—from Kubernetes and compute to training data and secrets—without adding unnecessary overhead.
Real-world examples included:The guide includes gcloud commands, YAML policies, and best practices you can apply directly to harden your GCP environment.

This cheat sheet is designed for:

What's included?

Agentless threat detection strategies: Leverage GCP's VMTD for runtime threat visibility without performance tradeoffs.
Centralized logging and monitoring setup: Configure Cloud Logging, Monitoring, and Looker/Grafana for real-time visibility.
Data protection and encryption: Secure data at rest and in transit using native GCP tools and cryptographic controls.
CSPM and policy enforcement: Use Security Command Center to monitor configurations and enforce security policies.
Vertex AI and ML security: Audit AI resources, sanitize training data, and detect anomalies in model behavior.
Kubernetes (GKE) security best practices: Apply RBAC, network policies, and container hardening in managed Kubernetes clusters.
Graph-based risk management: Visualize cloud risk relationships and asset dependencies to prioritize effectively.

Actionable Google Cloud Security Best Practices [Cheat Sheet]