The answer is to use Privileged Identity Management to enforce just-in-time access, block legacy authentication, and require multifactor authentication for all users. These three practices form the core of Microsoft Entra ID security because legacy protocols like POP3 and SMTP bypass MFA entirely, leaving accounts exposed to password spray attacks, while PIM reduces standing admin privileges by granting time-bound roles only when needed. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this question tests your understanding of how Conditional Access policies can enforce MFA and block legacy auth, with a common trap being that disabling legacy protocols in the tenant settings is not enough—you must also configure Conditional Access to cover all client apps. A useful memory tip is to think of the acronym “LAMP”: Legacy auth blocked, Always enforce MFA, Manage with PIM, and Protect with just-in-time access.
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.
Which THREE are security best practices for Microsoft Entra ID? (Select three.)
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
✓
Block legacy authentication protocols
Legacy authentication protocols (e.g., POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, and older versions of Office clients) do not support modern security controls like multifactor authentication (MFA) or conditional access. Blocking these protocols is a critical security best practice because they bypass MFA requirements, leaving accounts vulnerable to password spray and credential-stuffing attacks. Microsoft Entra ID allows administrators to block legacy authentication via Conditional Access policies or tenant-wide settings.
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.
✓
Block legacy authentication protocols
Why this is correct
Legacy auth does not support MFA and is a common attack vector.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Enable multifactor authentication for all administrators
Why this is correct
MFA is a critical security control for privileged accounts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Disable self-service password reset for users
Why it's wrong here
SSPR improves security by reducing help desk overhead; disabling it is not a best practice.
✗
Synchronize all on-premises user accounts to Microsoft Entra ID
Why it's wrong here
Only synchronize necessary accounts; reducing exposure is a best practice.
✓
Use Privileged Identity Management to enforce just-in-time access
Why this is correct
PIM reduces standing access and risk.
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 assume disabling self-service password reset (SSPR) improves security by reducing attack surface, but in reality, SSPR reduces help desk load and encourages users to reset compromised passwords quickly, while blocking legacy authentication is the actual critical control to prevent MFA bypass.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Legacy authentication protocols like POP3 and IMAP4 use basic authentication (RFC 7617) where credentials are sent in plaintext or weakly encoded. Microsoft Entra ID's Conditional Access policies can block these protocols by inspecting the 'Client Apps' condition, specifically targeting 'Exchange ActiveSync clients' and 'Other clients'. In a real-world scenario, an organization that fails to block legacy authentication may see successful MFA bypass attacks even when MFA is enforced for interactive sign-ins, as legacy clients do not honor MFA challenges.
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: Block legacy authentication protocols — Legacy authentication protocols (e.g., POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, and older versions of Office clients) do not support modern security controls like multifactor authentication (MFA) or conditional access. Blocking these protocols is a critical security best practice because they bypass MFA requirements, leaving accounts vulnerable to password spray and credential-stuffing attacks. Microsoft Entra ID allows administrators to block legacy authentication via Conditional Access policies or tenant-wide settings.
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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