SC-100 Practice Question: Design security solutions for applications and data
A healthcare organization is using Microsoft Purview to govern its data estate. They have multiple Azure Data Lake Storage accounts and Azure SQL Databases. They need to classify sensitive data such as patient health information (PHI) and apply protection automatically when data is exported from these sources to an external location. The organization also wants to prevent unauthorized users from accessing sensitive data in Azure SQL Database by using built-in security features. The compliance team requires that any access to sensitive data be logged and auditable. You need to design a solution that meets these requirements. What should you implement?
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
✓
Use Microsoft Purview to scan and classify data. Auto-apply sensitivity labels. Implement Azure AD authentication and row-level security in Azure SQL Database. Enable auditing and send to Log Analytics.
Microsoft Purview can scan data sources like Azure Data Lake Storage and Azure SQL Database, classify sensitive data such as PHI, and auto-apply sensitivity labels. Azure SQL Database supports Azure AD authentication and row-level security (RLS) to restrict access to sensitive data based on user identity. Auditing logs can be sent to Log Analytics for compliance. Option B is incorrect because it requires manual labeling and does not use row-level security. Option C uses Defender for Cloud (not Purview) and Always Encrypted (which does not prevent access to authorized users). Option D uses data masking (obfuscation) rather than access control and lacks auto-labeling and auditing integration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use Microsoft Purview to scan and classify data. Auto-apply sensitivity labels. Implement Azure AD authentication and row-level security in Azure SQL Database. Enable auditing and send to Log Analytics.
Why this is correct
This option is correct because it combines Purview's scanning with auto-applied sensitivity labels, ensuring consistent classification without manual effort. Azure AD authentication replaces SQL logins with identity-based access, and row-level security (RLS) filters PHI at the query level so authorized users only see rows they are permitted to access. Enabling auditing to Log Analytics creates an immutable, queryable record of all data access and label changes, satisfying auditability requirements that are essential for healthcare compliance.
- ✗
Use Microsoft Purview to scan and classify data. Apply sensitivity labels manually. Configure Azure SQL Database firewall to block all but admin. Use Azure SQL auditing.
Why it's wrong here
This option requires manual labeling, which is inefficient and prone to error, and does not implement row-level security or other fine-grained access control. The firewall alone does not prevent authorized users from accessing sensitive data. Hence, it is incorrect.
- ✗
Use Microsoft Defender for Cloud to identify sensitive data. Implement Azure SQL Database always encrypted. Use Azure Monitor to log queries.
Why it's wrong here
This option uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud instead of Purview for classification, which may not provide the same depth of data scanning. Always Encrypted protects data at rest but does not prevent access to authorized users, and it lacks auto-labeling and integrated auditing. Therefore, incorrect.
- ✗
Use Microsoft Purview to classify data. Apply data masking in Azure SQL Database for PHI columns. Use Azure SQL Database threat detection.
Why it's wrong here
This option lacks the critical auto-labeling capability that Purview can deliver; classifying data without applying sensitivity labels leaves protection dependent on manual intervention. While dynamic data masking in Azure SQL Database obfuscates PHI columns, users with elevated permissions can still see the underlying data, so it does not enforce access control. Azure SQL Database threat detection provides alerts for suspicious activity but does not generate the comprehensive, auditable log trail required for compliance, making this solution incomplete for healthcare governance.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SC-100 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 SC-100 exam.