The answer is a framework dividing security responsibilities between the cloud provider and the customer. This model is correct because it clarifies that the provider secures the infrastructure *of* the cloud—physical hosts, network, and hypervisor—while the customer secures everything *in* the cloud, such as data, identities, and OS configurations. On the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900 exam, this concept tests your understanding that security is always a shared obligation, never fully transferred, and it frequently appears in scenario-based questions asking who is responsible for a specific task. A common trap is assuming the provider handles everything in Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS), but the customer always retains responsibility for their own data and access. Remember the mnemonic: “Provider protects the floor, customer locks the door.”
AZ-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
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.
What is the shared responsibility model in cloud computing?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A framework dividing security responsibilities between the cloud provider and the customer
The shared responsibility model defines the division of security and compliance obligations between the cloud provider and the customer. The provider is responsible for the security 'of' the cloud (physical hosts, network, hypervisor), while the customer is responsible for security 'in' the cloud (data, access management, OS configuration). This division varies by service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), but the core principle is that security is a shared, not transferred, responsibility.
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.
✗
The provider and customer each pay half the cost of cloud services
Why it's wrong here
Shared responsibility is about security duties, not cost sharing.
✓
A framework dividing security responsibilities between the cloud provider and the customer
Why this is correct
The shared responsibility model defines which security duties the provider handles versus the customer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An agreement where customers share their infrastructure with other cloud users
Why it's wrong here
Resource sharing is multi-tenancy; shared responsibility is about security obligation division.
✗
A service where two cloud providers share management of customer workloads
Why it's wrong here
Shared responsibility is between the cloud provider and the customer, not between two providers.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume the provider handles all security (especially in PaaS/SaaS), forgetting that the customer always retains responsibility for data, identities, and access management regardless of the service model.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the division is enforced by the hypervisor's isolation boundaries in IaaS: the provider secures the hypervisor and physical network, while the customer must patch the guest OS and configure network security groups (NSGs). In PaaS, the provider secures the runtime environment, but the customer is still responsible for application-level security, such as managing connection strings and identity tokens. A real-world scenario is a customer using Azure SQL Database: Microsoft secures the database engine and storage, but the customer must configure firewall rules, manage user logins, and encrypt sensitive columns.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: A framework dividing security responsibilities between the cloud provider and the customer — The shared responsibility model defines the division of security and compliance obligations between the cloud provider and the customer. The provider is responsible for the security 'of' the cloud (physical hosts, network, hypervisor), while the customer is responsible for security 'in' the cloud (data, access management, OS configuration). This division varies by service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), but the core principle is that security is a shared, not transferred, responsibility.
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.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A hospital stores patient data in the cloud. The hospital is responsible for encrypting the data before uploading, managing user access, and complying with healthcare regulations. The cloud provider is responsible for securing the physical datacenter, network infrastructure, and hypervisor. This model describes which concept?
medium
✓ A.Shared responsibility model
B.Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
C.Platform as a Service (PaaS)
D.Software as a Service (SaaS)
Why A: The scenario explicitly divides security responsibilities between the hospital (data encryption, access management, regulatory compliance) and the cloud provider (physical datacenter, network, hypervisor). This division of security obligations is the core definition of the shared responsibility model, which applies across all cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) but is most clearly illustrated here where the customer retains control over data and identity layers.
Variation 2. A hospital is migrating patient data to the cloud. The hospital is responsible for managing who can access the data and for encrypting the data before upload. The cloud provider is responsible for securing the physical datacenters, network infrastructure, and hypervisor. This division of security responsibilities is described by which model?
medium
✓ A.Shared responsibility model
B.Defense in depth
C.Principle of least privilege
D.Zero trust model
Why A: The shared responsibility model defines the division of security obligations between the cloud provider and the customer. In this scenario, the hospital (customer) is responsible for identity and access management (IAM) and data encryption at rest and in transit, while the cloud provider secures the physical datacenter, network infrastructure, and hypervisor. This clear separation of duties is the core of the shared responsibility model, which varies by service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).
Variation 3. A hospital stores sensitive patient data in the cloud. They want to ensure that data remains secure and that the cloud provider has implemented strict physical security controls, such as biometric access and 24/7 surveillance at datacenters. Which aspect of the shared responsibility model does this describe?
easy
A.Responsibility of the customer for network security
✓ B.Responsibility of the cloud provider for physical security
C.Responsibility of the customer for data classification
D.Responsibility of the customer for identity and access management
Why B: The shared responsibility model delineates that the cloud provider is responsible for the security 'of' the cloud, which includes physical infrastructure controls like biometric access and 24/7 surveillance at datacenters. This question specifically asks about physical security controls, which fall under the provider's domain regardless of the deployment model (IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS). Therefore, option B is correct because the provider must secure the physical premises housing the servers and storage.
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Question Discussion
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