This AZ-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe cloud concepts. 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.
A hospital stores patient health records in the cloud. They are responsible for encrypting the data before storing it, while the cloud provider is responsible for securing the physical datacenter. Which cloud model is being described?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Shared responsibility model
The scenario describes a division of security responsibilities: the hospital encrypts data (customer responsibility) and the cloud provider secures the physical datacenter (provider responsibility). This is the core definition of the shared responsibility model, where security obligations are split based on the cloud service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and the customer's control over the data and configurations.
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.
✓
Shared responsibility model
Why this is correct
This model outlines the division of security responsibilities between provider and customer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Community cloud
Why it's wrong here
Community cloud is a deployment model for multiple organizations with shared concerns.
✗
Hybrid cloud
Why it's wrong here
Hybrid cloud combines public and private clouds, not a security responsibility model.
✗
Private cloud
Why it's wrong here
Private cloud is a single-tenant environment, not a description of responsibility division.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the shared responsibility model with deployment models (private, public, hybrid, community) because the question mentions both a customer and a provider, leading them to pick a deployment model instead of recognizing the security duty split.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the shared responsibility model, the customer always retains responsibility for data classification, encryption (at rest and in transit), and identity/access management (IAM), regardless of the service model. For example, in IaaS, the customer secures the OS and applications; in PaaS, the provider secures the runtime but the customer manages application-level security. A real-world scenario: if a hospital uses Azure SQL Database (PaaS), the provider patches the database engine, but the hospital must encrypt sensitive columns using Always Encrypted or Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) with customer-managed keys.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-900 question in full detail.
Describe cloud concepts — This question tests Describe cloud concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Shared responsibility model — The scenario describes a division of security responsibilities: the hospital encrypts data (customer responsibility) and the cloud provider secures the physical datacenter (provider responsibility). This is the core definition of the shared responsibility model, where security obligations are split based on the cloud service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and the customer's control over the data and configurations.
What should I do if I get this AZ-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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