The correct answer is to configure the storage account to use Azure Key Vault for customer-managed key encryption. This is because Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, even with hierarchical namespace enabled, supports encryption at rest using customer-managed keys (CMK) by integrating with Azure Key Vault, allowing the organization to control and rotate keys independently of Azure-managed encryption. On the DP-203 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that encryption at rest is a storage account-level setting, not a container or Databricks configuration; a common trap is assuming you must configure encryption within Azure Data Factory or Databricks, but the key vault association is made directly on the storage account’s encryption blade. Remember the mnemonic “CMK = Key Vault on Storage” to avoid confusing it with Azure Information Protection or Transparent Data Encryption.
DP-203 Design and implement data security Practice Question
This DP-203 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement data 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.
A manufacturing company uses Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with hierarchical namespace enabled and Azure Databricks for analytics. The security team requires that all data stored in the 'raw' container be encrypted at rest using customer-managed keys. The data is ingested via Azure Data Factory. What should the data engineer configure to meet the requirement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure the storage account to use Azure Key Vault for customer-managed key encryption.
Option C is correct because Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with hierarchical namespace supports encryption at rest using customer-managed keys (CMK) via Azure Key Vault. To meet the security requirement, the data engineer must configure the storage account's encryption settings to use a key from Azure Key Vault, which allows the organization to control and rotate the encryption keys independently of Azure.
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.
✗
Assign an Azure Policy that requires encryption at rest.
Why it's wrong here
Policy can enforce the setting but does not configure the key.
✗
Enable Azure Information Protection on the storage account.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Information Protection is for data classification, not encryption at rest.
✓
Configure the storage account to use Azure Key Vault for customer-managed key encryption.
Why this is correct
This enables encryption at rest with a customer-managed key.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable the 'require secure transfer' setting on the storage account.
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse encryption at rest (which is always enabled by default) with the specific requirement for customer-managed keys, leading them to pick Azure Policy or 'require secure transfer' as a catch-all security measure.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When customer-managed keys are used, Azure Storage wraps the data encryption key (DEK) with a key encryption key (KEK) stored in Azure Key Vault. The storage account must be configured with the 'encryption.keySource' property set to 'Microsoft.Keyvault' and the key vault URI specified. This setup allows the organization to revoke access by disabling the key in Key Vault, effectively rendering the data inaccessible.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-203 question in full detail.
Design and implement data security — This question tests Design and implement data security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the storage account to use Azure Key Vault for customer-managed key encryption. — Option C is correct because Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with hierarchical namespace supports encryption at rest using customer-managed keys (CMK) via Azure Key Vault. To meet the security requirement, the data engineer must configure the storage account's encryption settings to use a key from Azure Key Vault, which allows the organization to control and rotate the encryption keys independently of Azure.
What should I do if I get this DP-203 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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