SC-100 Practice Question: Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
A company is implementing a Zero Trust security model. Which principle requires verifying every access request as if it originates from an uncontrolled network?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Verify explicitly
The 'Assume breach' principle is not about verifying requests. 'Verify explicitly' is the Zero Trust principle that mandates authenticating and authorizing every access request. 'Least privilege' limits access rights. 'Micro-segmentation' is a network isolation technique.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged 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.
✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege limits access rights, but does not inherently verify each request.
✗
Micro-segmentation
Why it's wrong here
Micro-segmentation is a network security technique, not a core Zero Trust principle.
✗
Assume breach
Why it's wrong here
'Assume breach' focuses on minimizing blast radius, not verifying every request.
✓
Verify explicitly
Why this is correct
This is the correct Zero Trust principle: always authenticate and authorize based on all available data points.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-100 question in full detail.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SC-100 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities — This question tests Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Verify explicitly — The 'Assume breach' principle is not about verifying requests. 'Verify explicitly' is the Zero Trust principle that mandates authenticating and authorizing every access request. 'Least privilege' limits access rights. 'Micro-segmentation' is a network isolation technique.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SC-100 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Question Discussion
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