Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A healthcare organization stores sensitive patient data in Azure SQL Database. They need to encrypt specific columns containing medical history so that even database administrators with the 'sysadmin' role cannot view the plaintext data. Additionally, they need to support equality comparisons (WHERE clauses) on the encrypted columns. Which encryption technology should they implement?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
TDE encrypts the entire database at rest, but the database engine has access to the encryption keys, so DBAs can see plaintext.
B
Distractor review
Always Encrypted with randomized encryption
Randomized encryption provides stronger security but does not support equality comparisons because the same plaintext encrypts to different ciphertexts each time.
C
Best answer
Always Encrypted with deterministic encryption
Deterministic encryption allows equality searches by generating consistent ciphertext for a given plaintext, and keys are stored client-side, preventing DBAs from decrypting.
D
Distractor review
Dynamic Data Masking
Dynamic Data Masking obfuscates data for non-privileged users but does not encrypt it; privileged users can still see plaintext.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Related practice questions
Related AZ-500 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-500 question test?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Always Encrypted with deterministic encryption — Always Encrypted with deterministic encryption allows client-side encryption of column data. The encryption keys are not available to the database engine, ensuring that DBAs cannot view plaintext. Deterministic encryption generates the same ciphertext for the same plaintext value, enabling equality comparisons. TDE encrypts data at rest but DBAs can query plaintext. Dynamic Data Masking only obfuscates data but does not encrypt it. Randomized Always Encrypted does not support equality queries.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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