Salesforce Sharing and Visibility Certification Practice Exam

Which method would allow viewing of encrypted custom field contents in clear text?

1. Stack trace viewer in the developer console

2. Trigger field update copying encrypted field to unencrypted field

3. Debug log output from system.debug(object.encryptedField__c)

4. Webservice that returns secret as a string

The correct answer is: Trigger field update copying encrypted field to unencrypted field

The method that allows viewing of encrypted custom field contents in clear text is through a trigger field update that copies the encrypted field to an unencrypted field. When data is encrypted in Salesforce, it is stored securely to protect sensitive information, but there are situations where you may need to access that data in its original, readable format. By creating a trigger that updates a separate unencrypted field with the value from the encrypted field, you can retrieve and view the sensitive data in clear text when required. This method is effective because it adheres to Salesforce's security model and data protection policies, allowing you to handle sensitive information safely. In contrast, other options have limitations regarding security and visibility. For instance, using a stack trace viewer or debug logs may display a reference or the encrypted value but not the actual clear text. Debug logs and web services that expose sensitive data as a string could lead to potential vulnerabilities or compliance issues, as they do not provide a secure way to display the content of encrypted fields. The trigger method is both compliant and practical for such needs.