The answer is to configure an Identity Protection user risk policy to require MFA. This policy is correct because it specifically targets compromised user accounts by evaluating user-level risk—such as leaked credentials or anomalous behavior—and automatically enforces MFA when the risk is medium or higher, directly addressing the requirement to detect and respond to compromised identities. On the AZ-500 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between user risk and sign-in risk policies: a common trap is confusing the two, but remember that user risk focuses on the account’s overall compromise likelihood, while sign-in risk evaluates a single session. The exam often pairs this with Conditional Access as the underlying enforcement engine, but the policy type itself is Identity Protection. A helpful memory tip is “User risk = User account compromised, sign-in risk = Session suspicious,” so when the goal is to protect a compromised identity, always choose the user risk policy.
AZ-500 Secure identity and access Practice Question
This AZ-500 practice question tests your understanding of secure identity and access. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your organization has Microsoft Entra ID P2 licenses. You want to automatically detect and respond to compromised identities by requiring MFA when a sign-in risk is medium or above. Which policy should you configure?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure an Identity Protection user risk policy to require MFA
Option A is correct because Identity Protection user risk policy can automatically trigger MFA based on risk level. Option B is incorrect because sign-in risk policy is for sign-in risk, not user risk. Option C is incorrect because Conditional Access is the foundation but the policy type is Identity Protection. Option D is incorrect because it requires user action.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Enable self-service password reset
Why it's wrong here
SSPR does not automatically respond to compromised identities.
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Configure a Conditional Access policy with sign-in risk condition
Why it's wrong here
This is a Conditional Access policy, not specifically user risk.
✓
Configure an Identity Protection user risk policy to require MFA
Why this is correct
User risk policy can require MFA when risk is medium or higher.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure an Identity Protection sign-in risk policy
Why it's wrong here
Sign-in risk policy is for sign-in risk, not user risk.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-500 question in full detail.
Identify which AZ-500 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Secure identity and access — This question tests Secure identity and access — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure an Identity Protection user risk policy to require MFA — Option A is correct because Identity Protection user risk policy can automatically trigger MFA based on risk level. Option B is incorrect because sign-in risk policy is for sign-in risk, not user risk. Option C is incorrect because Conditional Access is the foundation but the policy type is Identity Protection. Option D is incorrect because it requires user action.
What should I do if I get this AZ-500 question wrong?
Identify which AZ-500 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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