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.
Which TWO of the following are key components of a Zero Trust architecture according to Microsoft? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use least privilege access
In Microsoft's Zero Trust model, 'least privilege access' (Option C) is a core principle that ensures users and devices are granted only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks, reducing the attack surface. This is enforced through technologies like Azure AD Conditional Access and Privileged Identity Management (PIM), which dynamically limit access based on risk and context.
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.
✗
Trust but verify
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust does not trust implicitly; it verifies explicitly.
✗
Implicit trust for internal traffic
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust never implicitly trusts any traffic.
✓
Use least privilege access
Why this is correct
Limit user access with just-in-time and just-enough-access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Verify explicitly
Why this is correct
Every access request must be fully authenticated and authorized.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Rely on a strong perimeter
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust assumes no perimeter; it protects resources directly.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'trust but verify' (a legacy model) with Zero Trust's 'never trust, always verify' principle, leading them to incorrectly select Option A as a key component.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, 'verify explicitly' (Option D) mandates that every access request be authenticated and authorized based on multiple signals, such as user identity, device health, and location, using protocols like OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect. In a real-world scenario, a user accessing a cloud app from a non-compliant device would be blocked even if they have valid credentials, because the explicit verification step evaluates device compliance via Microsoft Intune before granting access.
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: Use least privilege access — In Microsoft's Zero Trust model, 'least privilege access' (Option C) is a core principle that ensures users and devices are granted only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks, reducing the attack surface. This is enforced through technologies like Azure AD Conditional Access and Privileged Identity Management (PIM), which dynamically limit access based on risk and context.
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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Question Discussion
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