DEA-C02 Data Movement Practice Question
A company requires that all data moved into Snowflake be encrypted at rest within the target table. How does Snowflake handle this requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume they need to manage encryption keys manually or configure specific settings to enable security, not realizing that encryption at rest is a default, automatic feature.
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
✓
Snowflake automatically encrypts all data at rest using AES-256.
Snowflake provides transparent, end-to-end encryption for all data at rest by default. This feature is fundamental to the platform's security architecture. Because it is managed automatically by Snowflake, data engineers do not need to configure encryption keys manually or change their data movement workflows. This provides peace of mind for security-conscious organizations and ensures compliance with industry standards without adding complexity to the ingestion pipeline.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The data must be encrypted by the user before being uploaded to the stage.
Why it's wrong here
Snowflake handles encryption of data at rest automatically. While users can choose to provide encrypted files for transit, the database engine will decrypt and re-encrypt the data using its own internal key management system once it is ingested, ensuring security without requiring pre-encryption of data files.
- ✓
Snowflake automatically encrypts all data at rest using AES-256.
Why this is correct
Snowflake uses AES-256 encryption for all data at rest, and this service is enabled by default for all accounts. This transparent process ensures that data is always protected within the database without requiring any user-managed configuration or maintenance, simplifying security administration for data engineers and system architects.
- ✗
The engineer must use the ENCRYPT_DATA parameter in the COPY INTO command.
Why it's wrong here
There is no ENCRYPT_DATA parameter in the COPY INTO command because encryption is already handled at the infrastructure level. Snowflake's automatic encryption covers all storage, so trying to use non-existent parameters will cause the ingestion statement to fail while providing no additional security benefits to the data.
- ✗
Encryption at rest is only available for Snowflake Enterprise Edition and higher.
Why it's wrong here
Transparent, automated encryption at rest is a standard feature provided in all Snowflake editions, including Standard. It is a core component of the Snowflake security model designed to protect customer data regardless of the service tier, ensuring baseline compliance and security for all users of the platform.
About these practice questions
This DEA-C02 question is part of Courseiva's 229-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 Snowflake exam blueprint
This DEA-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Snowflake 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 DEA-C02 exam.