DP-203 Practice Question: Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing
You need to ensure that data in an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 account is encrypted at rest using a customer-managed key. Which feature should you configure?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is confusing data-classification services (Azure Information Protection) or disk-level encryption (ADE) with storage-account encryption; only Key Vault integration with SSE provides customer-managed keys for ADLS Gen2.
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
✓
Azure Key Vault integration with Storage Service Encryption
Customer-managed keys (CMK) for Azure Storage are implemented by integrating the storage account with Azure Key Vault (or Managed HSM) and configuring the account's encryption key to reference a key stored there. Storage Service Encryption (SSE) then uses that key to wrap the account's data encryption key, giving the customer control over key lifecycle and revocation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Azure Key Vault integration with Storage Service Encryption
Why this is correct
Configuring Azure Key Vault integration lets Storage Service Encryption use a customer-managed key stored in Key Vault rather than a Microsoft-managed key, giving the organisation control over the key lifecycle. This satisfies the requirement for encryption at rest with a customer-managed key.
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Azure Information Protection
Why it's wrong here
Azure Information Protection classifies and labels documents, but it does not manage the storage account's encryption key hierarchy. It is correct for labelling and protecting files during collaboration, not for encrypting Data Lake Storage at rest.
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Azure Storage Service Encryption with Microsoft-managed keys
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft-managed keys are generated and rotated by Azure, so they cannot satisfy the requirement for a customer-managed key. This feature is the default encryption-at-rest mechanism for all Azure Storage accounts and would be the right choice when organisational policy permits Microsoft to manage the key lifecycle without customer control.
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Azure Disk Encryption
Why it's wrong here
Azure Disk Encryption encrypts OS and data disks attached to virtual machines, not objects within an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 account, so it cannot satisfy the customer-managed key requirement for stored files. It is tempting because it also uses Key Vault keys, and it would be correct when protecting VM volumes rather than lake storage.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on DP-203
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Variation 1. You need to ensure that data stored in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 is encrypted at rest using customer-managed keys. Which Azure service should you use to manage the keys?
easy- ✓ A.Azure Key Vault
- B.Microsoft Purview
- C.Azure Confidential Computing
- D.Microsoft Entra ID
Why A: Azure Key Vault is the service used to store and manage customer-managed keys (CMK) for Azure Storage encryption at rest. You create a key in Key Vault (or Managed HSM) and configure the storage account to use that key via the encryption settings, enabling CMK.
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.