This DP-203 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement data security. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 uses Azure Synapse Analytics with dedicated SQL pools. They need to allow a data scientist to read all tables in the 'sales' schema but prevent access to columns containing personally identifiable information (PII). Which feature should be used?
Dynamic data masking
Why wrong: Dynamic data masking obfuscates data but does not prevent access to the underlying data.
Row-level security
Why wrong: Row-level security filters rows based on user context, not columns.
Column-level security
Column-level security restricts access to specific columns based on user or role.
Azure Active Directory authentication
Why wrong: Azure AD authentication controls identity, not column-level access.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Column-level security
Column-level security (C) is the correct choice because it allows you to restrict access to specific columns in a table, such as PII columns, while granting read access to all other columns in the 'sales' schema. This is achieved by defining a GRANT SELECT statement on the table with a column list, or by using a security policy with a filter predicate that blocks access to sensitive columns. Unlike Dynamic Data Masking, which obfuscates data at query time but does not prevent the user from seeing the masked values in certain scenarios, Column-level security actually denies access to the specified columns entirely.
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.
Dynamic data masking
Why it's wrong here
Dynamic data masking obfuscates data but does not prevent access to the underlying data.
Row-level security
Why it's wrong here
Row-level security filters rows based on user context, not columns.
Column-level security
Why this is correct
Column-level security restricts access to specific columns based on user or role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure Active Directory authentication
Why it's wrong here
Azure AD authentication controls identity, not column-level access.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Dynamic Data Masking with column-level security, assuming that masking PII is sufficient, but the exam tests the distinction that masking does not prevent data access—it only obfuscates the output, whereas column-level security actually denies read permission on the column.
Detailed technical explanation
Column-level security in Azure Synapse dedicated SQL pools is implemented by granting SELECT on specific columns using the GRANT SELECT ON OBJECT::[schema].[table] (col1, col2) TO [user] syntax, which denies access to any column not explicitly listed. Under the hood, this is enforced by the SQL Server engine at query compilation time, returning an error if the user attempts to access a restricted column. In a real-world scenario, a data scientist might need to join tables across schemas, and column-level security ensures that PII columns like 'SSN' or 'Email' are completely invisible, even in query results or execution plans.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
Design and implement data security — This question tests Design and implement data security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Column-level security — Column-level security (C) is the correct choice because it allows you to restrict access to specific columns in a table, such as PII columns, while granting read access to all other columns in the 'sales' schema. This is achieved by defining a GRANT SELECT statement on the table with a column list, or by using a security policy with a filter predicate that blocks access to sensitive columns. Unlike Dynamic Data Masking, which obfuscates data at query time but does not prevent the user from seeing the masked values in certain scenarios, Column-level security actually denies access to the specified columns entirely.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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