- A
Enable TDE with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault, use Always Encrypted for sensitive columns, enforce TLS 1.2, and use Azure AD managed identities for authentication with a firewall rule to allow only the AKS cluster's outbound IP.
This provides encryption at rest (TDE and Always Encrypted), encryption in transit (TLS 1.2), and secure access with managed identities and IP restrictions.
- B
Enable TDE with a customer-managed key stored in the application's configuration file, enforce TLS 1.2, and use Azure AD authentication.
Why wrong: Customer-managed keys should be stored in Azure Key Vault, not in configuration files. TDE with CMK requires Key Vault integration.
- C
Implement application-level encryption for credit card data, enforce TLS 1.2, and use Azure AD managed identities with no database firewall rules.
Why wrong: Application-level encryption does not protect data at rest in the database. No firewall rules expose the database to broader network access.
- D
Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a service-managed key, enforce TLS 1.0, and use SQL authentication.
Why wrong: TLS 1.0 is deprecated and not PCI DSS compliant. SQL authentication is less secure than Azure AD managed identities.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to enable TDE with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault, use Always Encrypted for sensitive columns, enforce TLS 1.2, and use Azure AD managed identities for authentication with a firewall rule to allow only the AKS cluster's outbound IP. This combination ensures encryption at rest and in transit for Azure SQL Database with Key Vault by leveraging Transparent Data Encryption for the entire database, Always Encrypted for column-level protection of sensitive data like credit card numbers, and TLS 1.2 to secure data moving between AKS and the database. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your ability to layer encryption controls to meet PCI DSS and GDPR compliance, with a common trap being the use of outdated TLS 1.0 or relying solely on application-level encryption. A key memory tip is to think of the three E’s: Entire database (TDE), Essential columns (Always Encrypted), and Every connection (TLS 1.2), all locked down with managed identities.
SC-100 Practice Question: Design security solutions for applications and data
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security solutions for applications and data. 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.
Your company, Fabrikam, is a global financial services firm that handles sensitive customer data. You are designing a security solution for a new customer-facing web application that processes credit card transactions. The application will be deployed on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and will use Azure SQL Database for data storage. Compliance requirements include PCI DSS and GDPR. You need to ensure that data at rest and in transit is encrypted, and that access to the database is tightly controlled. You plan to use Azure Key Vault for managing encryption keys. Which combination of actions should you implement?
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
Enable TDE with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault, use Always Encrypted for sensitive columns, enforce TLS 1.2, and use Azure AD managed identities for authentication with a firewall rule to allow only the AKS cluster's outbound IP.
Option C is correct because it covers encryption in transit (TLS 1.2), encryption at rest (TDE and Always Encrypted), and access control with managed identities and firewall rules. Option A is wrong because TLS 1.0 is outdated and not PCI DSS compliant. Option B is wrong because Azure SQL Database does not support BYOK for TDE natively without Key Vault integration. Option D is wrong because application-level encryption alone does not meet compliance requirements for data at rest.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Enable TDE with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault, use Always Encrypted for sensitive columns, enforce TLS 1.2, and use Azure AD managed identities for authentication with a firewall rule to allow only the AKS cluster's outbound IP.
- ✗
Enable TDE with a customer-managed key stored in the application's configuration file, enforce TLS 1.2, and use Azure AD authentication.
Why it's wrong here
Customer-managed keys should be stored in Azure Key Vault, not in configuration files. TDE with CMK requires Key Vault integration.
- ✗
Implement application-level encryption for credit card data, enforce TLS 1.2, and use Azure AD managed identities with no database firewall rules.
- ✗
Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with a service-managed key, enforce TLS 1.0, and use SQL authentication.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SC-100 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Design security solutions for applications and data — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-100 question test?
Design security solutions for applications and data — This question tests Design security solutions for applications and data — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable TDE with a customer-managed key in Azure Key Vault, use Always Encrypted for sensitive columns, enforce TLS 1.2, and use Azure AD managed identities for authentication with a firewall rule to allow only the AKS cluster's outbound IP. — Option C is correct because it covers encryption in transit (TLS 1.2), encryption at rest (TDE and Always Encrypted), and access control with managed identities and firewall rules. Option A is wrong because TLS 1.0 is outdated and not PCI DSS compliant. Option B is wrong because Azure SQL Database does not support BYOK for TDE natively without Key Vault integration. Option D is wrong because application-level encryption alone does not meet compliance requirements for data at rest.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SC-100 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on SC-100
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO data protection mechanisms should you implement to protect data at rest in Azure SQL Database?
medium- ✓ A.Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
- B.Azure Policy
- C.Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
- D.Azure Firewall
- ✓ E.Always Encrypted
Why A: Options A and D are correct. TDE encrypts the database files, and Always Encrypted protects data in use and at rest by encrypting columns. Option B is wrong because Azure Firewall is a network security service. Option C is wrong because RBAC controls access, not encryption. Option E is wrong because Azure Policy enforces compliance but does not encrypt.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
This SC-100 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 SC-100 exam.
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