This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of implement azure security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your organization has a custom application that stores customer data in Azure Cosmos DB. You need to encrypt the data at rest using a customer-managed key stored in Azure Key Vault. Which type of Cosmos DB encryption should you configure?
Enable Azure Disk Encryption on the Cosmos DB instance
Why wrong: Azure Disk Encryption is for virtual machines.
Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
Why wrong: TDE is a SQL Server feature, not Cosmos DB.
Use customer-managed keys (CMK) with Azure Key Vault
Cosmos DB supports CMK for encryption at rest.
Implement client-side encryption using the SDK
Why wrong: Client-side encryption is for application-level encryption, not at rest.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use customer-managed keys (CMK) with Azure Key Vault
Option A is correct because Cosmos DB supports encryption at rest with customer-managed keys (CMK) via Azure Key Vault. Option B is wrong because TDE is for SQL Server, not Cosmos DB. Option C is wrong because client-side encryption is separate. Option D is wrong because Azure Disk Encryption is for VMs.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Enable Azure Disk Encryption on the Cosmos DB instance
Why it's wrong here
Azure Disk Encryption is for virtual machines.
Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
Why it's wrong here
TDE is a SQL Server feature, not Cosmos DB.
Use customer-managed keys (CMK) with Azure Key Vault
Why this is correct
Cosmos DB supports CMK for encryption at rest.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Implement client-side encryption using the SDK
Why it's wrong here
Client-side encryption is for application-level encryption, not at rest.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Identify which AZ-204 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Implement Azure security — This question tests Implement Azure security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Use customer-managed keys (CMK) with Azure Key Vault — Option A is correct because Cosmos DB supports encryption at rest with customer-managed keys (CMK) via Azure Key Vault. Option B is wrong because TDE is for SQL Server, not Cosmos DB. Option C is wrong because client-side encryption is separate. Option D is wrong because Azure Disk Encryption is for VMs.
Identify which AZ-204 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This AZ-204 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the AZ-204 exam.
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