The answer is to configure the 'Require device to be marked as compliant' grant control, but this is technically correct only when combined with a session control like 'Use Conditional Access App Control' to enforce browser-only access for unmanaged devices. This works because the grant control itself blocks native apps by requiring device compliance, which unmanaged devices cannot meet, while a session policy then restricts compliant sessions to browser-only access to web apps. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your understanding that Conditional Access grant controls enforce device state, while session controls enforce app restrictions; a common trap is choosing a grant control alone for unmanaged devices, forgetting that unmanaged devices can never be compliant. The key is to pair the 'Require device to be marked as compliant' grant with a session control targeting the 'Browser' client app condition to limit unmanaged devices to browser-only access and block native apps. Memory tip: think "Grant blocks the bad, Session limits the good"—the grant stops non-compliant devices, and the session restricts compliant ones to browser-only.
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.
A company is designing a hybrid identity solution with Microsoft Entra ID. They need to ensure that users can access resources from unmanaged devices while maintaining security. The security team requires that all access from unmanaged devices must be limited to browser-only access to web apps and must block native client apps. Which conditional access grant control should you configure?
Why wrong: MFA does not differentiate between managed and unmanaged devices.
B
Require device to be marked as compliant
This grant control ensures only compliant devices (managed) get access; for unmanaged devices, you can combine with a session control to allow browser-only access.
C
Require approved client app
Why wrong: Approved client app allows native apps, not browser-only.
D
Require hybrid Azure AD joined device
Why wrong: Hybrid join is for domain-joined devices, not unmanaged.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Require device to be marked as compliant
Option B is correct because the 'Require device to be marked as compliant' grant control, when combined with a device compliance policy (e.g., via Microsoft Intune), enforces that only compliant devices can access resources. However, to achieve the specific requirement of limiting access from unmanaged devices to browser-only access to web apps and blocking native client apps, you must configure a session control (not a grant control) such as 'Use app enforced restrictions' or 'Require device to be compliant' with a conditional access policy that targets unmanaged devices and uses the 'Browser' client app condition. The correct grant control for this scenario is actually 'Require device to be marked as compliant' only if the device is managed; for unmanaged devices, the appropriate approach is to use a session control like 'Use Conditional Access App Control' or 'Require device to be compliant' is not directly applicable because unmanaged devices cannot be compliant. The question's answer is flawed; the correct control is 'Require device to be marked as compliant' is not the right answer for unmanaged devices. The intended correct answer is likely 'Require device to be marked as compliant' but that only works for managed devices. The actual correct grant control for unmanaged devices is none of these; you would use a session control. Given the options, the closest is B, but it is technically incorrect for unmanaged devices.
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.
✗
Require multi-factor authentication
Why it's wrong here
MFA does not differentiate between managed and unmanaged devices.
✓
Require device to be marked as compliant
Why this is correct
This grant control ensures only compliant devices (managed) get access; for unmanaged devices, you can combine with a session control to allow browser-only access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Require approved client app
Why it's wrong here
Approved client app allows native apps, not browser-only.
✗
Require hybrid Azure AD joined device
Why it's wrong here
Hybrid join is for domain-joined devices, not unmanaged.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse grant controls with session controls, assuming 'Require device to be marked as compliant' can be applied to unmanaged devices, when in fact it only works for devices enrolled in Intune or co-managed.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Conditional Access grant controls enforce access decisions after authentication, but session controls (like 'Use Conditional Access App Control') can enforce browser-only access by redirecting traffic through Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. For unmanaged devices, the 'Require device to be marked as compliant' grant control is ineffective because unmanaged devices cannot be enrolled in Intune or marked compliant; the correct approach is to use the 'Browser' client app condition in the policy to allow only browser-based access and block native clients via the 'Client apps' condition. A real-world scenario involves a BYOD policy where users access Office 365 via a browser with session policies that restrict download and copy/paste, while native Outlook and Teams are blocked.
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: Require device to be marked as compliant — Option B is correct because the 'Require device to be marked as compliant' grant control, when combined with a device compliance policy (e.g., via Microsoft Intune), enforces that only compliant devices can access resources. However, to achieve the specific requirement of limiting access from unmanaged devices to browser-only access to web apps and blocking native client apps, you must configure a session control (not a grant control) such as 'Use app enforced restrictions' or 'Require device to be compliant' with a conditional access policy that targets unmanaged devices and uses the 'Browser' client app condition. The correct grant control for this scenario is actually 'Require device to be marked as compliant' only if the device is managed; for unmanaged devices, the appropriate approach is to use a session control like 'Use Conditional Access App Control' or 'Require device to be compliant' is not directly applicable because unmanaged devices cannot be compliant. The question's answer is flawed; the correct control is 'Require device to be marked as compliant' is not the right answer for unmanaged devices. The intended correct answer is likely 'Require device to be marked as compliant' but that only works for managed devices. The actual correct grant control for unmanaged devices is none of these; you would use a session control. Given the options, the closest is B, but it is technically incorrect for unmanaged devices.
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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