SNOW-CAD Working with Data Practice Question
A company is building a ServiceNow application to manage employee onboarding. They need to store personal data like social security numbers (SSNs) and medical information. Which data classification scheme should they apply to these fields to ensure proper encryption and access controls?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'Confidential' with 'Highly Confidential', assuming that any sensitive data falls under 'Confidential', but ServiceNow reserves 'Highly Confidential' specifically for data requiring the highest security controls, such as PII and PHI.
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
✓
Highly Confidential
'Highly Confidential' is the ServiceNow data classification level designed for sensitive personal data such as social security numbers and medical information. This classification enforces mandatory encryption at rest and in transit, strict role-based access controls, and audit logging, aligning with regulatory requirements like GDPR and HIPAA.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Confidential
Why it's wrong here
Confidential is for business-sensitive data, not the highest level.
- ✗
Internal
Why it's wrong here
Internal is for general internal use without special protection.
- ✓
Highly Confidential
Why this is correct
Correct, this is the highest classification for sensitive personal data.
- ✗
Public
Why it's wrong here
Public is for non-sensitive data accessible to all.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SNOW-CAD practice question is part of Courseiva's free ServiceNow 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 SNOW-CAD exam.