DP-300 Plan and implement data platform resources Practice Question
You need to secure an Azure SQL Database. The requirements are: (1) encrypt sensitive columns such as credit card numbers, (2) prevent unauthorized users from seeing the full credit card number even if they have access to the database, and (3) allow authorized applications to decrypt the data. Which two features should you implement? (Choose TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse Dynamic Data Masking with encryption, assuming obfuscation provides the same security as Always Encrypted, but masking does not protect data from privileged users or direct database access.
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
✓
Always Encrypted
Always Encrypted is correct because it encrypts sensitive columns like credit card numbers at the client-side, ensuring the data remains encrypted at rest, in transit, and during processing. This prevents unauthorized users, including database administrators, from viewing the plaintext data, while authorized applications with the column encryption key can decrypt it transparently. Column-level security is also correct because it allows administrators to restrict access to specific columns (e.g., credit card numbers) by granting permissions only to authorized users or applications. This ensures that even if a user has access to the database, they cannot query the sensitive columns without explicit permission. Together, Always Encrypted provides encryption and Column-level security provides fine-grained access control, meeting all requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
Why it's wrong here
TDE encrypts at rest, not column-level.
- ✗
Dynamic Data Masking
Why it's wrong here
Only masks data, not encryption.
- ✓
Always Encrypted
Why this is correct
Encrypts specific columns and keeps data encrypted from DB engine.
- ✗
Row-level security
Why it's wrong here
Restricts rows, not columns.
- ✓
Column-level security
Why this is correct
Restricts access to columns.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every DP-300 question from scratch — 906 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-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.