The correct answer is to enable Azure Active Directory authentication for the storage account and configure diagnostic settings to send logs to a Log Analytics workspace. Azure AD authentication replaces shared keys with role-based access control (RBAC), allowing you to assign granular permissions like Storage Blob Data Reader to specific users or groups, which enforces the principle of least privilege. Meanwhile, diagnostic settings stream data plane audit logs—tracking every read, write, and delete operation—into Log Analytics, where you can query and alert on suspicious activity. On the DP-203 exam, this pairing tests your understanding that access control and auditing are separate but complementary layers: one prevents unauthorized access, the other records who did what. A common trap is choosing shared key authorization or SAS tokens, which lack identity-based auditing. Remember the mnemonic “AAD for access, LA for logs” to keep these two actions distinct.
DP-203 Design and implement data security Practice Question
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.
You are designing data security for an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 account that stores sensitive customer data. You need to ensure that only authorized users can access the data and that access can be audited. Which TWO actions should you implement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure diagnostic settings to send logs to a Log Analytics workspace.
Option A is correct because configuring diagnostic settings to send logs to a Log Analytics workspace enables auditing of data access events, such as read, write, and delete operations, which is essential for compliance and security monitoring. Option E is correct because Azure AD authentication provides fine-grained access control using role-based access control (RBAC) and eliminates the need for shared keys, aligning with the principle of least privilege.
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.
✓
Configure diagnostic settings to send logs to a Log Analytics workspace.
Why this is correct
Diagnostic settings enable auditing of access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use storage account access keys (Shared Key) for authentication.
Why it's wrong here
Shared Key does not provide per-user auditing and is less secure.
✗
Generate shared access signatures (SAS) with a long expiry time.
Why it's wrong here
Long-lived SAS tokens increase security risk.
✗
Configure a firewall to allow access from all Azure services.
Why it's wrong here
Allowing all Azure services may grant unintended access.
✓
Enable Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) authentication for the storage account.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'allowing access from all Azure services' (Option D) with a secure configuration, but it actually bypasses authentication and auditing, making it a security risk rather than a control.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure AD authentication for Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 integrates with OAuth 2.0 and RBAC, allowing you to assign roles like 'Storage Blob Data Reader' at the container or directory level. Diagnostic logs sent to Log Analytics capture detailed audit trails, including the user principal name (UPN) and IP address for each request, which is critical for forensic analysis. In a real-world scenario, a financial institution would combine Azure AD authentication with diagnostic logging to meet regulatory requirements like GDPR or PCI DSS, ensuring that every access to sensitive customer data is traceable to a specific identity.
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 diagnostic settings to send logs to a Log Analytics workspace. — Option A is correct because configuring diagnostic settings to send logs to a Log Analytics workspace enables auditing of data access events, such as read, write, and delete operations, which is essential for compliance and security monitoring. Option E is correct because Azure AD authentication provides fine-grained access control using role-based access control (RBAC) and eliminates the need for shared keys, aligning with the principle of least privilege.
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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