- A
Enable Azure Storage encryption with a customer-managed key (CMK)
CMK gives the customer control over the encryption keys. Revoking the key in Key Vault immediately blocks access to the data, meeting the security requirement.
- B
Enable infrastructure encryption
Why wrong: Infrastructure encryption uses platform-managed keys for an additional layer of encryption (double encryption), but it does not provide the customer capability to revoke keys on demand.
- C
Enable soft delete for the storage account
Why wrong: Soft delete protects data from accidental deletion, but it does not control encryption keys or the ability to restrict access based on key revocation.
- D
Enable Azure AD authentication for Blob Storage
Why wrong: Azure AD authentication controls access to storage, but it does not affect encryption at rest or provide key revocation capabilities.
AZ-500 Secure compute, storage, and databases Practice Question
This AZ-500 practice question tests your understanding of secure compute, storage, and databases. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A company stores sensitive data in Azure Blob Storage. They want to ensure that the data is encrypted at rest using a customer-managed key (CMK) stored in Azure Key Vault. Additionally, they need the ability to immediately make the data inaccessible in case of a security breach. Which configuration on the storage account enables this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"immediately / without restart"Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Enable Azure Storage encryption with a customer-managed key (CMK)
Option A is correct because enabling Azure Storage encryption with a customer-managed key (CMK) stored in Azure Key Vault allows the customer to control the encryption key used for data at rest. In the event of a security breach, the customer can immediately revoke access to the CMK in Key Vault (e.g., by disabling the key or deleting the key vault), which renders the encrypted Blob Storage data inaccessible because Azure Storage cannot decrypt it without the key. This satisfies both the encryption-at-rest requirement and the ability to make data inaccessible on demand.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Enable Azure Storage encryption with a customer-managed key (CMK)
Why this is correct
CMK gives the customer control over the encryption keys. Revoking the key in Key Vault immediately blocks access to the data, meeting the security requirement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable infrastructure encryption
Why it's wrong here
Infrastructure encryption uses platform-managed keys for an additional layer of encryption (double encryption), but it does not provide the customer capability to revoke keys on demand.
- ✗
Enable soft delete for the storage account
Why it's wrong here
Soft delete protects data from accidental deletion, but it does not control encryption keys or the ability to restrict access based on key revocation.
- ✗
Enable Azure AD authentication for Blob Storage
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse soft delete (which protects against accidental deletion) with the ability to make data inaccessible via key revocation, or they assume infrastructure encryption or Azure AD authentication provide the same control as CMK, but only CMK with key revocation in Key Vault gives the customer direct, immediate control over data accessibility.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, when using CMK with Azure Storage, the storage account wraps the data encryption key (DEK) with the customer-managed key (KEK) stored in Azure Key Vault. Revoking the KEK (e.g., by disabling the key version or deleting the key vault) causes Azure Storage to fail all subsequent decrypt operations, effectively making the data inaccessible. A subtle behavior is that existing data remains encrypted but unreadable, and new write operations also fail, providing a rapid response to breaches without needing to delete the storage account.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Secure compute, storage, and databases — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-500 question test?
Secure compute, storage, and databases — This question tests Secure compute, storage, and databases — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Azure Storage encryption with a customer-managed key (CMK) — Option A is correct because enabling Azure Storage encryption with a customer-managed key (CMK) stored in Azure Key Vault allows the customer to control the encryption key used for data at rest. In the event of a security breach, the customer can immediately revoke access to the CMK in Key Vault (e.g., by disabling the key or deleting the key vault), which renders the encrypted Blob Storage data inaccessible because Azure Storage cannot decrypt it without the key. This satisfies both the encryption-at-rest requirement and the ability to make data inaccessible on demand.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-500 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-500 exam.
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