Your application requires a relational database and must connect via an encrypted, authenticated method with minimal management and IAM integration. What should you do?

The correct option leverages Cloud SQL's native IAM database authentication for secure, centralized access control and the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy for encrypted, authenticated connections without manual SSL certificate management. The Auth Proxy automatically handles SSL/TLS encryption and identity verification, simplifying connectivity. The first two incorrect options involve configuring SSL/TLS client certificates, which adds management overhead compared to the Auth Proxy. While SSL/TLS provides encryption, integrating it with IAM for authentication is more streamlined with the Auth Proxy. The third incorrect option uses a database username and password, which lacks the benefits of IAM integration for authentication and centralized identity management.