What are the four levels of keys in Snowflake's hierarchical key model?

• A. The root key, account master keys, table master keys, and file keys
• B. The root key, account keys, dataset keys, and file keys
• C. The global key, account master keys, row master keys, and file keys
• D. The root key, server keys, table keys, and file keys

Answer: (A)

Snowflake protects data at rest using a four-level key hierarchy, where each level wraps the keys beneath it to provide layered security. The top level is the root key, which is managed by Snowflake and serves as the ultimate protection for all lower-level keys. Beneath that are the account master keys, one set per customer account, which protect the keys used within that account. next are the table master keys, tied to each table, used to wrap the keys that encrypt the data in that table. At the bottom are the file keys, the actual keys that encrypt the physical data files stored in storage.

This structure allows keys to be rotated or replaced at one level without re-encrypting everything higher up, while still maintaining strong protection across the data lifecycle. Therefore the four levels are the root key, account master keys, table master keys, and file keys.