In Snowflake, every data file is encrypted with a separate key.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not applicable
• D. Only for large files

Answer: (A)

Snowflake protects data at rest by encrypting each data file with its own encryption key. In Snowflake, data stored in cloud storage is broken into many small files (micro-partitions), and each of those files is encrypted with a unique data encryption key. That key is then wrapped by a master key managed by Snowflake’s key management system (or your external KMS). This per-file key strategy provides strong, fine-grained security: even if one file’s key is exposed, other files remain protected by their separate keys, and keys can be rotated without decrypting everything at once. This design applies to all data files, regardless of size, so the statement is true.