What is Column-Level Security

Definition

Column-level security restricts access to specific columns of a table based on user identity or role, so sensitive fields such as salaries or national identifiers can be hidden or masked from users who may otherwise read the rest of the record.

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Hides or masks sensitive fields while still allowing access to the rest of a record
Enables fine-grained protection of personal or confidential columns
Supports compliance by limiting exposure of regulated data fields
Lets one table serve many roles, each seeing only the columns it should

Real World Example

An HR analytics table applies column-level security so analysts can query employee tenure and department but see salary and national ID columns masked, while only the compensation team can read those sensitive fields.

FAQs

What does column-level security protect?

It protects specific sensitive columns, restricting or masking them for users who are allowed to see the rest of the record.

How is sensitive data hidden?

Through column masking, redaction, or denying access entirely to designated columns based on user role.

How does it complement row-level security?

Row-level security limits which rows a user sees, while column-level security limits which fields within those rows are visible.