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DP-203 Practice Question: Which TWO of the following are valid methods to…
Which TWO of the following are valid methods to secure data at rest in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse access control methods (RBAC, firewalls) or transport security (TLS) with data at rest encryption, mistakenly thinking they secure the stored data itself, when in fact only encryption mechanisms like SSE or CMK protect data at rest.
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
✓
Use customer-managed keys in Azure Key Vault
Option C is correct because customer-managed keys (CMK) stored in Azure Key Vault let you control the encryption keys used for Azure Storage Service Encryption, so data written to ADLS Gen2 is encrypted at rest with keys you own and can rotate or revoke. Option D is correct because Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE) is the built-in mechanism that automatically encrypts data at rest in ADLS Gen2 (and Blob/File storage) using AES-256, protecting stored data without any application changes. Option A is not a data-at-rest encryption method; RBAC roles govern authorization to access data, not how it is encrypted on disk. Option B is not correct because storage firewall rules restrict network access to the storage account, which is a network/perimeter control rather than encryption of stored data. Option E is not correct because TLS 1.2 secures data in transit over the wire, not data at rest.
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 RBAC roles for data access
Why it's wrong here
RBAC roles govern who may read or write data, which is an access control at the identity layer rather than encryption of stored bytes. It tempts because RBAC is a core Data Lake Gen2 security feature, but the question asks specifically about protecting data at rest.
- ✗
Configure storage firewall rules
Why it's wrong here
Storage firewall rules restrict which networks may reach the account, controlling access paths rather than encrypting stored data. They tempt because network restriction is a legitimate defence, yet at-rest protection requires service-side encryption with Microsoft-managed or customer-managed keys.
- ✓
Use customer-managed keys in Azure Key Vault
Why this is correct
Customer-managed keys wrap the account's data encryption key in Azure Key Vault, giving the organisation control over the key lifecycle while Azure Storage still performs envelope encryption at rest. This satisfies the requirement for a valid at-rest encryption method for Data Lake Storage Gen2.
- ✓
Use Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE)
Why this is correct
Azure Storage Service Encryption performs automatic AES-256 encryption of data at rest at the storage layer, transparent to applications and enabled by default. It is a valid at-rest protection method for Data Lake Storage Gen2, satisfying the encryption requirement without application changes.
- ✗
Enable TLS 1.2 for all connections
Why it's wrong here
TLS secures data in transit, not at rest.
Quick reference
Symmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Size | Block Size | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES-128 | 128-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | NIST approved; WPA3, TLS |
| AES-256 | 256-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | Preferred for sensitive / govt data |
| 3DES | 112-bit effective | 64-bit | Deprecated (2023) | Replaced by AES |
| DES | 56-bit | 64-bit | Broken | Cracked in < 24 h; never deploy |
| ChaCha20 | 256-bit | Stream cipher | Current | TLS 1.3, WireGuard |
Go deeper
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About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every DP-203 question from scratch — 509 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DP-203 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 DP-203 exam.