- A
Use Azure DevOps with a service principal that has a client secret stored in Azure Key Vault. Use Trivy to scan images.
Why wrong: Still uses a client secret; Trivy is not a Microsoft solution but could be used, but the requirement is no secrets anywhere.
- B
Use GitHub Actions with OpenID Connect to authenticate to Azure without storing any secrets. Integrate Microsoft Defender for Containers to scan images in Azure Container Registry.
OpenID Connect eliminates secrets; Defender for Containers provides integrated scanning.
- C
Use GitHub Actions with a managed identity for the GitHub runner. Disable image scanning to speed up deployments.
Why wrong: Managed identity for runner is not supported for GitHub Actions; disabling scanning violates security policy.
- D
Use GitHub Actions with environment secrets for Azure service principal credentials. Use Docker Hub's vulnerability scanning.
Why wrong: Still uses secrets in pipeline; Docker Hub scanning may not integrate well with AKS.
Quick Answer
The answer is to use GitHub Actions with OpenID Connect and Microsoft Defender for Containers. This approach is correct because OpenID Connect eliminates the need to store any long-lived secrets in pipeline variables by using short-lived, federated tokens to authenticate directly to Azure, while Defender for Containers provides automated vulnerability scanning for images stored in Azure Container Registry before they are deployed to AKS. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your understanding of secretless authentication and integrated container security—a common trap is choosing Azure Key Vault access via service principal, which still stores a secret in the pipeline. Remember the memory tip: OIDC for zero secrets, Defender for zero vulnerabilities.
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.
You are designing a secure DevOps pipeline in GitHub that deploys to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS). The security team requires that no secrets are stored in the pipeline variables and that all container images are scanned for vulnerabilities before deployment. Which approach aligns with security best practices?
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 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
Use GitHub Actions with OpenID Connect to authenticate to Azure without storing any secrets. Integrate Microsoft Defender for Containers to scan images in Azure Container Registry.
Option B is correct because it uses OpenID Connect (OIDC) to authenticate GitHub Actions to Azure without storing any long-lived secrets, which aligns with the requirement that no secrets be stored in pipeline variables. Additionally, integrating Microsoft Defender for Containers provides vulnerability scanning for container images in Azure Container Registry (ACR), meeting the image scanning requirement before deployment to AKS.
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 DevOps with a service principal that has a client secret stored in Azure Key Vault. Use Trivy to scan images.
Why it's wrong here
Still uses a client secret; Trivy is not a Microsoft solution but could be used, but the requirement is no secrets anywhere.
- ✓
Use GitHub Actions with OpenID Connect to authenticate to Azure without storing any secrets. Integrate Microsoft Defender for Containers to scan images in Azure Container Registry.
Why this is correct
OpenID Connect eliminates secrets; Defender for Containers provides integrated scanning.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use GitHub Actions with a managed identity for the GitHub runner. Disable image scanning to speed up deployments.
Why it's wrong here
Managed identity for runner is not supported for GitHub Actions; disabling scanning violates security policy.
- ✗
Use GitHub Actions with environment secrets for Azure service principal credentials. Use Docker Hub's vulnerability scanning.
Why it's wrong here
Still uses secrets in pipeline; Docker Hub scanning may not integrate well with AKS.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume Azure DevOps is the only secure option or that storing secrets in Azure Key Vault is acceptable, but the question explicitly requires 'no secrets stored in the pipeline variables,' and OIDC eliminates secrets entirely, while Key Vault still requires a secret retrieval step that counts as a stored secret in the pipeline context.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
OpenID Connect (OIDC) in GitHub Actions uses federated identity credentials to exchange a short-lived token from GitHub's OIDC provider (https://token.actions.githubusercontent.com) for an Azure access token, eliminating the need for any stored secrets. Microsoft Defender for Containers scans images in ACR using the integrated Qualys scanner, which checks for CVEs and provides a detailed vulnerability report that can be used to block deployment via policy enforcement in the pipeline.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities — study guide chapter
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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: Use GitHub Actions with OpenID Connect to authenticate to Azure without storing any secrets. Integrate Microsoft Defender for Containers to scan images in Azure Container Registry. — Option B is correct because it uses OpenID Connect (OIDC) to authenticate GitHub Actions to Azure without storing any long-lived secrets, which aligns with the requirement that no secrets be stored in pipeline variables. Additionally, integrating Microsoft Defender for Containers provides vulnerability scanning for container images in Azure Container Registry (ACR), meeting the image scanning requirement before deployment to AKS.
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.
About these practice questions
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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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