DP-300 Implement a secure environment Practice Question
You are the DBA for an Azure SQL Database that stores sensitive customer data. The security team requires that database administrators be able to manage the database but not see the sensitive data in plaintext. You need to implement a solution that meets this requirement with minimal application changes. What should you do?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that TDE or Dynamic Data Masking can prevent administrators from seeing plaintext, when only Always Encrypted provides that separation of duties.
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
✓
Implement Always Encrypted with column encryption keys stored in Azure Key Vault.
Always Encrypted is designed to protect sensitive data from high-privileged users like DBAs. By storing column encryption keys in Azure Key Vault and configuring the client driver, data remains encrypted on the server and is only decrypted by authorized applications. This meets the requirement with minimal application changes because the encryption is handled by the client driver without altering the database schema significantly.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Implement Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a customer-managed key.
Why it's wrong here
TDE encrypts data at rest, but it decrypts data transparently for any user with database access, including administrators. It does not prevent administrators from viewing plaintext data. Therefore, it does not satisfy the requirement to keep sensitive data hidden from DBAs.
- ✗
Implement Row-Level Security (RLS) on the sensitive tables.
Why it's wrong here
Row-Level Security restricts which rows a user can access but does not encrypt data. Administrators with sufficient privileges can still view the data in plaintext. It does not meet the requirement to prevent administrators from seeing sensitive data, and it requires predicate function design and policy configuration.
- ✓
Implement Always Encrypted with column encryption keys stored in Azure Key Vault.
Why this is correct
Always Encrypted ensures that sensitive data is encrypted at rest and in transit, and only clients with access to the column encryption keys can decrypt it. Database administrators cannot see plaintext data because the keys are not available to them. This meets the requirement with minimal application changes, as the encryption/decryption is handled by the client driver.
- ✗
Implement Dynamic Data Masking on the sensitive columns.
Why it's wrong here
Dynamic Data Masking masks data for non-privileged users, but users with db_owner or similar administrative roles can see unmasked data. Since the requirement is to prevent administrators from seeing plaintext, this option fails. It also does not require application changes, but it does not meet the security goal.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
Key term
Azure SQL Performance Tuning
Azure SQL Performance Tuning is the process of optimizing the speed and efficiency of queries and database operations in Microsoft Azure SQL Database or SQL Managed Instance to reduce latency and improve throughput.
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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-300 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-300 exam.