The answer is to create a Conditional Access policy requiring MFA for all cloud apps, excluding trusted locations and devices. This approach is correct because it aligns with the Zero Trust principle of “verify explicitly” while minimizing user friction—users in a trusted context, such as a corporate office or on a compliant device, are not repeatedly prompted for MFA. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your understanding of granular, risk-based MFA enforcement versus blunt tools like Security Defaults, which enforce MFA everywhere but lack exclusion capabilities. A common trap is choosing Security Defaults for simplicity, forgetting that it cannot exclude trusted locations or devices, leading to unnecessary friction. Memory tip: think “Conditional Access = Contextual Control,” where you verify only when the context is untrusted.
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. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Your organization is adopting Microsoft Entra ID as the identity provider for all SaaS applications. The security team wants to enforce multifactor authentication (MFA) for all users accessing these applications. Which approach aligns with security best practices and minimizes user friction?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a Conditional Access policy requiring MFA for all cloud apps, excluding trusted locations and devices.
Option D is correct because Conditional Access policies allow granular, risk-based MFA enforcement that excludes trusted locations (e.g., corporate offices) and trusted devices (e.g., compliant or hybrid-joined devices). This aligns with the Zero Trust principle of 'verify explicitly' while minimizing user friction by not prompting for MFA when the user is already in a trusted context. Security defaults (Option C) enforce MFA for all users but lack the ability to exclude trusted locations or devices, which can cause unnecessary friction.
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.
✗
Enable per-user MFA for all users in Microsoft Entra ID.
Why it's wrong here
Per-user MFA is less flexible and doesn't support risk-based conditions.
✗
Disable MFA and rely on strong password policies.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling MFA contradicts the requirement to enforce MFA.
✗
Enable Microsoft Entra ID Security defaults.
Why it's wrong here
Security defaults enforce MFA for all users but lacks customization.
✓
Create a Conditional Access policy requiring MFA for all cloud apps, excluding trusted locations and devices.
Why this is correct
Conditional Access provides risk-based MFA with exception handling.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Security defaults (Option C) as the best practice for MFA enforcement, but Security defaults lack the exclusion capabilities of Conditional Access, which is the recommended approach for minimizing friction while maintaining security.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Conditional Access policies evaluate signals such as user location (via named locations using IPv4/IPv6 ranges or GPS), device compliance (via Microsoft Intune or hybrid Azure AD join), and risk level (via Identity Protection) before granting access. The 'Require MFA' grant control can be scoped to 'All cloud apps' while using the 'Exclude' block to skip MFA for trusted locations (e.g., corporate IP ranges) or trusted devices (e.g., devices marked as compliant). This policy is evaluated at authentication time and respects session token lifetimes, so users on trusted devices may not be prompted again until the token expires.
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: Create a Conditional Access policy requiring MFA for all cloud apps, excluding trusted locations and devices. — Option D is correct because Conditional Access policies allow granular, risk-based MFA enforcement that excludes trusted locations (e.g., corporate offices) and trusted devices (e.g., compliant or hybrid-joined devices). This aligns with the Zero Trust principle of 'verify explicitly' while minimizing user friction by not prompting for MFA when the user is already in a trusted context. Security defaults (Option C) enforce MFA for all users but lack the ability to exclude trusted locations or devices, which can cause unnecessary friction.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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