AZ-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
A company is evaluating whether to move to cloud. Their IT manager says they are concerned about losing control over their data. Which Azure feature MOST directly addresses this concern?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure guarantees data never leaves the specified region unless configured to do so
Azure data residency controls, combined with Azure regions and data sovereignty guarantees, ensure that customer data stays within specified geographic boundaries. Microsoft's contractual commitments in the Microsoft Products and Services Data Protection Addendum (DPA) address data sovereignty concerns.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Azure guarantees data never leaves the specified region unless configured to do so
Why this is correct
Azure indeed guarantees that data stored in a selected region will not leave that region unless the customer explicitly configures cross-region replication, such as geo-redundant storage (GRS) or geo-replication for Azure SQL Database. Even when replication is enabled, the customer chooses the secondary region and is fully aware of the data's location. This residency commitment, supported by service-level agreements and compliance attestations, is what makes the statement correct.
- ✗
Microsoft employees have unrestricted access to all customer data
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft employees do not have unrestricted access to customer data. Instead, Azure operates on a zero-standing-access model: engineers require just-in-time, role-based authorizations that must be explicitly granted and are automatically revoked after the task. All access is logged and audited, and features like Customer Lockbox require customer approval before a support engineer can access data for troubleshooting. These controls directly contradict the idea of unrestricted employee access.
- ✗
Data is automatically shared with government agencies
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft does not automatically share customer data with government agencies. Disclosure occurs only in response to legally valid requests, such as court orders or warrants, and Microsoft strictly follows established legal processes, often notifying the customer unless legally prohibited. Transparency reports are published to disclose the volume and nature of these requests, demonstrating that sharing is neither automatic nor without oversight.
- ✗
All Azure data is stored in the United States
Why it's wrong here
Azure does not store all data in the United States; the platform operates a global network of regions, each with multiple datacenters. When creating a resource, customers select a specific home region—such as Europe West, Southeast Asia, or US East—and Azure guarantees that the primary copy of data remains in that selected region to meet local data residency and sovereignty requirements. Thus, the premise of a single US-based storage location is incorrect.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
What is Cloud Computing?
Key term
Feature
A feature is a distinct unit of functionality that delivers value to the user, often managed and tracked throughout the software development lifecycle.
Key term
Data residency
Data residency is the physical or geographical location where an organization's data is stored and processed, often subject to local laws.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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