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. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
An organization wants to ensure that all Windows 10 devices are compliant with security policies before they can access corporate email. Microsoft Intune is used for device management. Which component should be used to enforce compliance and block non-compliant devices?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access policy integrated with Intune compliance
Option B is correct because Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access policies can evaluate Intune device compliance status in real time. When a device is marked non-compliant by an Intune compliance policy, the Conditional Access policy blocks access to corporate email (e.g., Exchange Online) until the device is remediated. This integration enforces a 'compliant device required' gate that cannot be achieved by Intune compliance alone, which only reports status without blocking access.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Intune device compliance policy alone
Why it's wrong here
Compliance policy alone does not block access; it requires Conditional Access.
✓
Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access policy integrated with Intune compliance
Why this is correct
Conditional Access uses compliance data to enforce access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Microsoft 365 Defender portal
Why it's wrong here
Portal is for monitoring, not enforcement.
✗
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint device risk score
Why it's wrong here
Risk scores are used for threat protection, not access control.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume Intune compliance policies alone can block access, but they forget that enforcement requires a separate Conditional Access policy to act on the compliance state—Intune only reports, it does not gate authentication.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Intune compliance policies evaluate device settings (e.g., encryption, OS version, password) and write a compliance state to Microsoft Entra ID. Conditional Access policies then check this state during authentication via the 'Require device to be marked as compliant' grant control. If the device is non-compliant, the authentication request is blocked, and the user may be redirected to the Intune Company Portal for remediation. This integration relies on the device being enrolled in Intune and registered in Microsoft Entra ID, leveraging the device ID and certificate-based authentication.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities — This question tests Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access policy integrated with Intune compliance — Option B is correct because Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access policies can evaluate Intune device compliance status in real time. When a device is marked non-compliant by an Intune compliance policy, the Conditional Access policy blocks access to corporate email (e.g., Exchange Online) until the device is remediated. This integration enforces a 'compliant device required' gate that cannot be achieved by Intune compliance alone, which only reports status without blocking access.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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