Teams on Google Cloud Platform still spin up bastion hosts because it's the way “it's always been done.” But every SSH tunnel, every open port, every static credential is another point of risk. Modern infrastructure and compliance demands something better. The old model creates friction for developers and surfaces only the illusion of control for security teams.
A secure replacement for bastion hosts changes the entire database access story. Instead of a single choke point that requires manual setup, auditing, and maintenance, you can give precise, audited access directly to your PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Cloud SQL instances on GCP without exposing them to the public internet. You eliminate SSH keys, IP whitelists, and long-lived credentials. All connections are authenticated, encrypted, and fully logged. You can tie access to identity and enforce granular roles that reflect how your team actually works.
For engineers, that means no more juggling VPN clients or command-line incantations just to run a read query. For security, it means clear visibility over who touched what and when. And for compliance, it means proof of control without ugly exceptions in your audits. Scalability is built in—you can onboard or remove users instantly without reviewing firewall rules or redeploying jump hosts.