The answer is to enable GitHub secret scanning for all repositories with push protection and custom patterns. This is correct because GitHub secret scanning is the only native tool that can scan code in real-time for known secret patterns like API keys and connection strings, and its push protection feature actively blocks commits containing those secrets before they reach the remote repository. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between GitHub’s built-in secret scanning and other Azure services—a common trap is confusing Azure Key Vault (a secret storage, not a scanner) or Defender for Cloud (which doesn’t scan GitHub repos) with the actual prevention tool. Remember that secret scanning lives in GitHub itself, not in Azure, and the key phrase is “prevent secrets in code” at the commit level. For a quick memory tip: think “GitHub scans, Key Vault stores, Defender protects clouds, Purview classifies.”
SC-100 Design security solutions for infrastructure Practice Question
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security solutions for infrastructure. 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.
You are a security architect for a software development company. The company uses GitHub for source control and Azure DevOps for CI/CD. They have a large number of repositories and want to ensure that secrets (e.g., API keys, connection strings) are never committed to code. They also want to scan pull requests for secrets before merging. The company has Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Purview available. You need to design a solution that prevents secret leaks. What should you use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "never"
Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
Enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud's 'Secrets scanning' feature for GitHub repositories.
Why wrong: Defender for Cloud scans for secrets in Azure resources, not GitHub repos.
B
Use Azure Key Vault to store secrets and enforce policies that require developers to use Key Vault references.
Why wrong: Key Vault does not scan code for secrets.
C
Use Microsoft Purview Information Protection to scan repositories and classify secrets.
Why wrong: Purview is for data classification, not real-time scanning of code commits.
D
Enable GitHub secret scanning for all repositories. Configure push protection to block commits containing secrets. Use custom patterns to scan for company-specific secrets.
GitHub secret scanning can detect and block secrets in code.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable GitHub secret scanning for all repositories. Configure push protection to block commits containing secrets. Use custom patterns to scan for company-specific secrets.
Option A is correct because GitHub secret scanning is built into GitHub and can scan for known secret patterns; it can also be extended with custom patterns. It can block pushes that contain secrets. Option B is wrong because Azure Key Vault is a storage for secrets, not a scanning tool. Option C is wrong because Defender for Cloud does not scan GitHub repositories for secrets. Option D is wrong because Microsoft Purview Information Protection is for data classification, not secret scanning in code.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud's 'Secrets scanning' feature for GitHub repositories.
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Cloud scans for secrets in Azure resources, not GitHub repos.
✗
Use Azure Key Vault to store secrets and enforce policies that require developers to use Key Vault references.
Why it's wrong here
Key Vault does not scan code for secrets.
✗
Use Microsoft Purview Information Protection to scan repositories and classify secrets.
Why it's wrong here
Purview is for data classification, not real-time scanning of code commits.
✓
Enable GitHub secret scanning for all repositories. Configure push protection to block commits containing secrets. Use custom patterns to scan for company-specific secrets.
Why this is correct
GitHub secret scanning can detect and block secrets in code.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
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 the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SC-100 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Design security solutions for infrastructure — This question tests Design security solutions for infrastructure — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable GitHub secret scanning for all repositories. Configure push protection to block commits containing secrets. Use custom patterns to scan for company-specific secrets. — Option A is correct because GitHub secret scanning is built into GitHub and can scan for known secret patterns; it can also be extended with custom patterns. It can block pushes that contain secrets. Option B is wrong because Azure Key Vault is a storage for secrets, not a scanning tool. Option C is wrong because Defender for Cloud does not scan GitHub repositories for secrets. Option D is wrong because Microsoft Purview Information Protection is for data classification, not secret scanning in code.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SC-100 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "never". Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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