Describe security, compliance, privacy, and trust in Microsoft 365 →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
MS-900 Practice Question: Describe security, compliance, privacy, and trust in Microsoft 365
A compliance team needs to ensure that any email sent from the Finance department that contains a bank account number is automatically encrypted. External recipients must be able to reply securely without needing to sign up for any service. Which Microsoft Purview solution should they configure?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the automatic encryption trigger in DLP policies with the actual encryption mechanism, forgetting that DLP alone cannot encrypt emails or provide the secure reply portal—those capabilities require Message Encryption (OME) to be configured as the action.
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
✓
Microsoft Purview Message Encryption
Microsoft Purview Message Encryption (B) is the correct solution because it allows the organization to automatically encrypt emails based on conditions (e.g., emails from Finance containing bank account numbers) and enables external recipients to reply securely using the encrypted reply portal without requiring any sign-up or additional software. This is achieved through Azure Rights Management (Azure RMS) and the Office 365 Message Encryption (OME) portal, which provides a seamless, browser-based experience for external users.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Why it's wrong here
DLP can detect sensitive data and apply actions like blocking or notifying, but to automatically encrypt the email, DLP uses an action that invokes Message Encryption. Message Encryption is the underlying technology that encrypts the email.
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Microsoft Purview Message Encryption
Why this is correct
Microsoft Purview Message Encryption is the actual email encryption service that protects message content in transit and at rest. It is the underlying technology invoked when a DLP policy detects sensitive data, and it enables sending encrypted emails to any recipient, including external users without Microsoft Entra ID accounts, via a secure web experience. Additionally, it supports secure reply without requiring the recipient to sign up for an account, making it the correct answer for automatic email encryption.
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Microsoft Purview Information Protection (sensitivity labels)
Why it's wrong here
Sensitivity labels can be applied manually or automatically to emails, but they rely on the recipient's ability to read protected messages. Message Encryption is specifically designed for sending encrypted emails to external users without requiring them to have Microsoft Entra ID accounts.
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Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is a threat protection service that safeguards against phishing, malware, and malicious links in email messages, but it does not itself provide native email encryption capabilities. While it does offer features like Safe Attachments and Safe Links, these focus on threat detection and remediation rather than encrypting the content of outgoing messages. Therefore, it cannot be used to automatically encrypt emails based on compliance policy triggers, distinguishing it from Purview Message Encryption.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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