MS-900 Describe cloud concepts Practice Question
A financial services firm uses a public cloud provider for its customer-facing web application, but stores sensitive client data on its own on-premises servers. A secure VPN connection is used to transfer anonymized data from the public cloud to the on-premises environment for processing. Which cloud deployment model does this describe?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may incorrectly choose 'Public cloud' because they focus on the customer-facing web application being hosted there, ignoring the on-premises storage of sensitive data, which is the defining characteristic of a hybrid deployment.
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
✓
Hybrid cloud
This scenario describes a hybrid cloud because it combines a public cloud provider for the customer-facing web application with an on-premises private cloud for sensitive client data, connected via a secure VPN. The hybrid cloud model enables organizations to leverage the scalability and cost-efficiency of public cloud resources while maintaining strict control over sensitive data in a private environment. The use of a VPN to transfer anonymized data between the two environments is a key characteristic of hybrid cloud architecture, as it ensures secure communication across the boundary.
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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Public cloud
Why it's wrong here
A public cloud deployment is a multi-tenant environment owned and operated by a third-party provider (e.g., Azure, AWS), where compute and storage are delivered over the internet with no on-premises infrastructure. It does not include dedicated private servers or data centers under the firm's control, so it cannot accommodate the sensitive data that the financial services firm must keep on-premises. Since the scenario clearly mixes public cloud services with on-premises resources, a purely public cloud model is incomplete and therefore incorrect.
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Private cloud
Why it's wrong here
A private cloud is a cloud environment dedicated exclusively to a single organization, often built on on-premises infrastructure or hosted in a single-tenant data center. While it provides strong control and compliance for sensitive financial data, it does not involve the use of a public cloud provider's shared, multi-tenant services. The question explicitly states the firm uses a public cloud provider, so a private-only architecture fails to account for that public component; hence it is incorrect.
- ✓
Hybrid cloud
Why this is correct
Hybrid cloud is the correct model because it combines a private or on-premises environment with one or more public cloud providers, connected via a secure link such as a VPN or dedicated ExpressRoute. This architecture allows the financial services firm to keep sensitive data on-premises for regulatory compliance while leveraging public cloud scalability for non-sensitive workloads or burst capacity. It also enables workload portability between environments, which aligns directly with the scenario of integrating public cloud services with the firm's own on-premises servers.
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Community cloud
Why it's wrong here
A community cloud is a shared infrastructure used by several organizations that have common compliance, security, or regulatory concerns (e.g., healthcare, government), and it may be managed internally or by a third party. However, it does not represent a mix of public and private clouds for a single firm; instead, it is a multi-tenant deployment tailored to a group's shared needs. Since the question describes one financial services firm combining public cloud with its own infrastructure, a community cloud model is not an accurate fit.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This MS-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the MS-900 exam.