* The masking policy defined in the image indicates that if a user has the PI_ANALYTICS role, they will be able to see the last 4 characters of the CREDITCARDNO column data in clear text. Otherwise, they will see 'MASKED'. Since Snowflake system roles have not been granted any additional roles, they won't have the PI_ANALYTICS role and therefore cannot view the last 4 characters of credit card numbers.
* To apply a masking policy on a column in Snowflake, you need to use the ALTER TABLE ... ALTER COLUMN command or the ALTER VIEW command and specify the policy name. For example, to apply the creditcardno_mask policy on the CREDITCARDNO column of the CREDITCARDINFO table, you can use the following command:
ALTER TABLE CREDITCARDINFO ALTER COLUMN CREDITCARDNO SET MASKING POLICY creditcardno_mask;
* For more information on how to create and use masking policies in Snowflake, you can refer to the following resources:
CREATE MASKING POLICY: This document explains the syntax and usage of the CREATE MASKING POLICY command, which allows you to create a new masking policy or replace an existing one.
Using Dynamic Data Masking: This guide provides instructions on how to configure and use dynamic data masking in Snowflake, which is a feature that allows you to mask sensitive data based on the execution context of the user.
ALTER MASKING POLICY: This document explains the syntax and usage of the ALTER MASKING POLICY command, which allows you to modify the properties of an existing masking policy.
References: 1: https://docs.snowflake.com/en/sql-reference/sql/create-masking-policy 2:
https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/security-column-ddm-use 3:
https://docs.snowflake.com/en/sql-reference/sql/alter-masking-policy

* Snowflake supports cloning of various objects, such as databases, schemas, tables, stages, file formats, sequences, streams, tasks, and roles. Cloning creates a copy of an existing object in the system without copying the data or metadata. Cloning is also known as zero-copy cloning1.
* Among the objects listed in the question, the following ones can be cloned in Snowflake:
* Permanent table: A permanent table is a type of table that has a Fail-safe period and a Time Travel retention period of up to 90 days. A permanent table can be cloned using the CREATE TABLE ... CLONE command2. Therefore, option A is correct.
* Transient table: A transient table is a type of table that does not have a Fail-safe period and can have a Time Travel retention period of either 0 or 1 day. A transient table can also be cloned using the CREATE TABLE ... CLONE command2. Therefore, option B is correct.
* External table: An external table is a type of table that references data files stored in an external location, such as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, or Microsoft Azure Blob Storage. An external table can be cloned using the CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE ... CLONE command3.
Therefore, option D is correct.
* The following objects listed in the question cannot be cloned in Snowflake:
* Temporary table: A temporary table is a type of table that is automatically dropped when the session ends or the current user logs out. Temporary tables do not support cloning4. Therefore, option C is incorrect.
* Internal stage: An internal stage is a type of stage that is managed by Snowflake and stores files in Snowflake's internal cloud storage. Internal stages do not support cloning5. Therefore, option E is incorrect.
Cloning Considerations : CREATE TABLE ... CLONE : CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE ...
CLONE : Temporary Tables : Internal Stages