Designing GCP Workloads for HIPAA Compliance and Cost Optimization

B.

The correct answer is option D: Provision standard VMs to the same region to reduce cost. Disable and then discontinue use of all GCP services and APIs that are not HIPAA-compliant.

Explanation:

• Preemptible VMs are low-cost virtual machines that are available for a limited time and can be terminated by GCP at any time. They are not suitable for batch workloads that are not time-critical since there is no guarantee that they will be available for the entire duration of the workload.
• Standard VMs are suitable for batch workloads that are not time-critical since they provide reliable and consistent performance. By provisioning standard VMs to the same region, you can reduce data egress costs and improve network latency.
• HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a US law that sets the standards for protecting sensitive patient data. If your company needs to use GCP services that are HIPAA-compliant, it is important to ensure that you are using only those services that meet the requirements of the HIPAA regulations. This will help to protect sensitive patient data from unauthorized access and ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations.
• The best practice is to disable and then discontinue use of all GCP services and APIs that are not HIPAA-compliant to reduce the risk of accidental exposure of sensitive patient data. It is important to ensure that your company's workloads are compliant with all relevant regulations and standards.

Therefore, the best solution for this scenario is to provision standard VMs to the same region to reduce cost and disable and then discontinue use of all GCP services and APIs that are not HIPAA-compliant to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards.