MS-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
A business stakeholder asks how Microsoft 365 can help them access cloud resources from laptops, tablets, and phones over the internet. Cloud concept or benefit best matches this requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse operational features (like sensitivity labels or DLP) with fundamental cloud characteristics, or incorrectly associate Microsoft Planner with cloud access, when the question specifically targets the NIST-defined cloud benefit of broad network access.
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
✓
Broad network access
Broad network access is a core NIST cloud computing characteristic that enables resources to be accessed over the network by standard mechanisms (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and workstations). This directly matches the stakeholder's requirement for accessing cloud resources from various devices over the internet, as Microsoft 365 leverages HTTPS and standard protocols to provide ubiquitous access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Sensitivity labels
Why it's wrong here
Sensitivity labels are a Microsoft 365 compliance feature that lets organizations classify content and apply protective actions such as encryption, visual headers/footers, and access restrictions. These labels follow documents and emails wherever they go and are independent of the network or device being used. They do not account for the cloud's ability to deliver services over standard network protocols from any location, so they do not answer a question about how Microsoft 365 is accessed.
- ✗
Microsoft Planner
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Planner is a SaaS productivity application within Microsoft 365 for creating plans, assigning tasks to people, setting deadlines, and tracking progress with Kanban-style boards. It is a specific workload running in the cloud, not an underlying characteristic of cloud computing. Broad network access describes the platform-level capability that makes Planner available through browsers, mobile apps, and APIs, whereas Planner itself is merely an example of a service that relies on that capability.
- ✗
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Why it's wrong here
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in Microsoft 365 uses policies to inspect content in Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams, then blocks or alerts when sensitive data such as credit-card numbers or social-security numbers is shared inappropriately. It is a protective compliance control built on top of the cloud platform, not a description of the cloud's network accessibility. While DLP can restrict how data is shared, it does nothing to explain the cloud trait that lets users reach services over ordinary internet connections from various devices.
- ✓
Broad network access
Why this is correct
Broad network access is one of the five essential characteristics defined by NIST (SP 800-145) and means that Microsoft 365 capabilities are available over the network through standard protocols such as HTTPS, IMAP, and SMTP, rather than requiring a dedicated physical connection. Users can reach Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and other services from laptops, desktops, tablets, and smartphones, using either native apps or modern browsers. This characteristic is what gives Microsoft 365 its ubiquitous, anywhere-anytime accessibility and is the correct answer here. Note that it is not about raw bandwidth or connection speed; it is about standards-based, heterogeneous client access.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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