DEA-C02 Data Governance Practice Question
A data engineer wants to share a subset of data with a third party while ensuring sensitive columns are masked. Which governance combination is best?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume that applying a masking policy to a view is sufficient, forgetting that the policy must be applied to the underlying base table columns to ensure universal data protection.
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
✓
Create a secure view and apply masking policies to the base table columns.
The best practice is to combine a Secure View with a Dynamic Data Masking policy. The Secure View provides a clean abstraction layer, while the Masking Policy ensures that the data itself remains protected regardless of how the view is queried. This combination allows for precise data sharing while adhering to strict compliance standards, protecting the organization from data leaks during the sharing process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Create a secure view and apply masking policies to the base table columns.
Why this is correct
Applying masking policies to the base table ensures that even if the underlying data is accessed via a view, the masking rules are still enforced. Using a secure view provides the added benefit of hiding the underlying schema metadata, making this the most secure approach for external data sharing.
- ✗
Create a standard view with CASE statements for masking.
Why it's wrong here
Standard views do not hide the underlying metadata, potentially exposing table structures to the third party. Furthermore, manual CASE statements are harder to maintain than centralized masking policies. This approach is less secure and less scalable than using native Snowflake governance features designed for data protection.
- ✗
Grant direct access to the base table.
Why it's wrong here
Granting direct access to a base table is a major security risk. It exposes the entire table schema and all data, which is contrary to the principle of least privilege. Data sharing should always be facilitated through restricted, governed layers like views and policies to protect internal assets.
- ✗
Physically clone the table and remove sensitive rows.
Why it's wrong here
Cloning creates a duplicate copy of the data, leading to storage costs and potential synchronization issues. It also increases the attack surface as there is now a new copy of the data to manage, secure, and potentially delete. This approach is inefficient compared to using policies and views.
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.