What option must be configured to allow users to access encrypted data in SQL Server?

To enable users to access encrypted data in SQL Server, a column encryption key must be configured. This key is essential for decrypting the data that has been encrypted at the column level using Always Encrypted technology.

When data is encrypted with a column encryption key, it ensures that only designated clients with the appropriate key can access the sensitive data. The column encryption key itself can be protected by a column master key, which acts as a safeguard to manage the keys effectively. Therefore, for users to access the encrypted columns, the proper column encryption keys must be accessible to the application or user trying to retrieve that data.

This setup significantly enhances security while still allowing users to perform necessary operations on the data, provided they have the permissions and access to the appropriate keys.