- A
Use Azure Policy Guest Configuration to enforce region and NSG rules. Assign policies at each subscription. Use Azure Automation runbooks for remediation.
Why wrong: Guest Configuration is for VM guest settings, not resource-level policies.
- B
Create custom Azure Policy definitions for the required configurations (allowed locations, NSG rule blocking ports, storage HTTPS). Assign the policies at the root management group. Enable 'deployIfNotExists' effect for automatic remediation of non-compliant resources. Use Azure Policy remediation tasks to fix existing non-compliant resources.
Automated enforcement and remediation at scale.
- C
Use Azure Blueprints to define the environment. Include Azure Policy assignments in the blueprint. Assign blueprint to each management group. Remediate manually.
Why wrong: Blueprints are deprecated; manual remediation is inefficient.
- D
Create a custom script using Azure PowerShell to check compliance daily. Use Azure Logic Apps to send alerts for non-compliance. Have IT staff manually fix issues.
Why wrong: Script-based approach is not policy; no automatic enforcement.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create custom Azure Policy definitions for allowed locations, NSG rules blocking high-risk ports, and storage HTTPS, then assign them at the root management group with the deployIfNotExists effect and remediation tasks. This is correct because assigning policies at the root management group ensures inheritance across all subscriptions, enforcing a consistent security baseline without needing per-subscription configuration. The deployIfNotExists effect automatically remediates non-compliant resources during creation or update, while remediation tasks fix existing non-compliant resources, meeting all requirements. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Azure Policy inheritance through management groups and the difference between audit and deployIfNotExists effects—a common trap is choosing audit-only policies that cannot auto-remediate. Remember the mnemonic: **Root for rules, Deploy for fixes**—assign at the root management group for inheritance, and use deployIfNotExists to automatically enforce compliance.
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. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Contoso is a large enterprise with a complex Azure environment. They have multiple management groups, subscriptions, and a hub-spoke network topology. The security team wants to implement a consistent security baseline across all subscriptions using Azure Policy. They need to ensure that: 1) All resources must be deployed in approved regions only. 2) Network security groups must have specific rules to block high-risk ports. 3) All storage accounts must enforce HTTPS traffic. 4) The policies must be applied at the management group level to ensure inheritance. 5) Non-compliant resources must be automatically remediated where possible. What should you do?
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
Create custom Azure Policy definitions for the required configurations (allowed locations, NSG rule blocking ports, storage HTTPS). Assign the policies at the root management group. Enable 'deployIfNotExists' effect for automatic remediation of non-compliant resources. Use Azure Policy remediation tasks to fix existing non-compliant resources.
Option B is correct because it uses Azure Policy at the root management group to enforce inheritance across all subscriptions, with custom policy definitions for allowed locations, NSG rules blocking high-risk ports, and storage HTTPS. The 'deployIfNotExists' effect enables automatic remediation of non-compliant resources, and remediation tasks fix existing non-compliant resources, meeting all requirements without manual intervention.
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.
- ✗
Use Azure Policy Guest Configuration to enforce region and NSG rules. Assign policies at each subscription. Use Azure Automation runbooks for remediation.
Why it's wrong here
Guest Configuration is for VM guest settings, not resource-level policies.
- ✓
Create custom Azure Policy definitions for the required configurations (allowed locations, NSG rule blocking ports, storage HTTPS). Assign the policies at the root management group. Enable 'deployIfNotExists' effect for automatic remediation of non-compliant resources. Use Azure Policy remediation tasks to fix existing non-compliant resources.
Why this is correct
Automated enforcement and remediation at scale.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Azure Blueprints to define the environment. Include Azure Policy assignments in the blueprint. Assign blueprint to each management group. Remediate manually.
Why it's wrong here
Blueprints are deprecated; manual remediation is inefficient.
- ✗
Create a custom script using Azure PowerShell to check compliance daily. Use Azure Logic Apps to send alerts for non-compliance. Have IT staff manually fix issues.
Why it's wrong here
Script-based approach is not policy; no automatic enforcement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing Azure Policy's 'deployIfNotExists' effect with manual remediation or third-party automation, leading candidates to choose options that lack native, automatic, and inherited policy enforcement at the management group level.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Policy's 'deployIfNotExists' effect works by deploying a linked ARM template (e.g., a storage account with HTTPS enabled) when a non-compliant resource is created or updated, while remediation tasks use the same template to fix existing resources via a scheduled or on-demand job. The root management group assignment ensures all child management groups and subscriptions inherit the policy, leveraging Azure RBAC and policy evaluation at scale. In a hub-spoke topology, custom NSG rules can be enforced by auditing or deploying a specific rule set (e.g., blocking ports 3389, 22, 445) using the 'Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups/securityRules' resource type in the policy definition.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-100 question test?
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: Create custom Azure Policy definitions for the required configurations (allowed locations, NSG rule blocking ports, storage HTTPS). Assign the policies at the root management group. Enable 'deployIfNotExists' effect for automatic remediation of non-compliant resources. Use Azure Policy remediation tasks to fix existing non-compliant resources. — Option B is correct because it uses Azure Policy at the root management group to enforce inheritance across all subscriptions, with custom policy definitions for allowed locations, NSG rules blocking high-risk ports, and storage HTTPS. The 'deployIfNotExists' effect enables automatic remediation of non-compliant resources, and remediation tasks fix existing non-compliant resources, meeting all requirements without manual intervention.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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