- A
Implement Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Global Administrator roles, configure Authentication Strengths to require FIDO2, create auto-labeling policies for credit card numbers, and enable Defender for Identity lateral movement path detection.
Meets all requirements: PIM eliminates standing access, Authentication Strengths enforces phishing-resistant MFA, auto-labeling protects data, Defender for Identity detects lateral movement.
- B
Deploy Microsoft Entra Identity Protection for all users, configure Azure AD Conditional Access with MFA, use Microsoft Purview Information Protection with manual labeling, and enable Microsoft Sentinel analytics for lateral movement.
Why wrong: Manual labeling is insufficient; Identity Protection does not prevent lateral movement; Sentinel analytics is reactive.
- C
Configure Conditional Access to require MFA for admins, enable Microsoft Purview DLP for SharePoint, deploy Defender for Cloud Apps, and use Identity Protection for user risk.
Why wrong: Missing PIM and phishing-resistant MFA; DLP without auto-labeling may not classify all data.
- D
Remove all permanent admin roles and use just-in-time access via PIM, enforce MFA via Conditional Access, apply sensitivity labels via Microsoft Purview Data Map, and use Microsoft Defender for Cloud for network security groups.
Why wrong: MFA without phishing-resistant method is insufficient; Data Map is for scanning, not automatic labeling; Defender for Cloud is not for lateral movement detection.
Quick Answer
The answer is to implement Privileged Identity Management for Global Administrator roles, configure Authentication Strengths to require FIDO2, create auto-labeling policies for credit card numbers, and enable Defender for Identity lateral movement path detection. This combination directly satisfies the CISO’s Zero Trust mandates by eliminating standing privileged access through just-in-time activation, enforcing phishing-resistant MFA for all privileged roles, automatically classifying sensitive data in SharePoint Online, and using behavioral analytics to detect lateral movement. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your ability to map specific Microsoft security controls to distinct Zero Trust pillars—identity, data protection, and threat detection—without overlapping or missing a requirement. A common trap is choosing a solution like Conditional Access policies alone, which cannot eliminate standing privileges or auto-classify data. Memory tip: PIM for privilege, FIDO2 for phishing resistance, Purview for data labels, and Defender for Identity for lateral paths—think “PIM-FIDO-Purview-Defender” as your four-pillar ransomware defense.
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.
You are a security architect for a large financial services company. The company has a hybrid identity environment with on-premises Active Directory synchronized to Microsoft Entra ID using Microsoft Entra Connect. They use Microsoft 365 E5 licenses and have deployed Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Defender for Identity, Microsoft Sentinel, and Microsoft Purview. The company has recently suffered a ransomware attack where an attacker gained access via a compromised service account that had permanent Global Administrator privileges. The attacker then used the account to create a backdoor user and exfiltrate sensitive data from SharePoint Online. After the incident, the CISO mandates a Zero Trust security transformation with the following requirements: 1. Eliminate standing privileged access for all cloud admins. 2. Require phishing-resistant authentication for all privileged roles. 3. Ensure that all sensitive data in SharePoint Online is automatically classified and protected. 4. Enable detection of lateral movement using anomalous behavior analytics. Which combination of actions should you recommend?
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
Implement Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Global Administrator roles, configure Authentication Strengths to require FIDO2, create auto-labeling policies for credit card numbers, and enable Defender for Identity lateral movement path detection.
Option A is correct because it directly addresses all four CISO requirements: Privileged Identity Management (PIM) eliminates standing Global Administrator privileges by requiring just-in-time activation; Authentication Strengths with FIDO2 enforces phishing-resistant authentication for privileged roles; auto-labeling policies in Microsoft Purview automatically classify and protect sensitive data like credit card numbers in SharePoint Online; and Defender for Identity lateral movement path detection uses behavioral analytics to detect anomalous lateral movement, fulfilling the detection requirement.
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.
- ✓
Implement Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Global Administrator roles, configure Authentication Strengths to require FIDO2, create auto-labeling policies for credit card numbers, and enable Defender for Identity lateral movement path detection.
Why this is correct
Meets all requirements: PIM eliminates standing access, Authentication Strengths enforces phishing-resistant MFA, auto-labeling protects data, Defender for Identity detects lateral movement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Deploy Microsoft Entra Identity Protection for all users, configure Azure AD Conditional Access with MFA, use Microsoft Purview Information Protection with manual labeling, and enable Microsoft Sentinel analytics for lateral movement.
Why it's wrong here
Manual labeling is insufficient; Identity Protection does not prevent lateral movement; Sentinel analytics is reactive.
- ✗
Configure Conditional Access to require MFA for admins, enable Microsoft Purview DLP for SharePoint, deploy Defender for Cloud Apps, and use Identity Protection for user risk.
Why it's wrong here
Missing PIM and phishing-resistant MFA; DLP without auto-labeling may not classify all data.
- ✗
Remove all permanent admin roles and use just-in-time access via PIM, enforce MFA via Conditional Access, apply sensitivity labels via Microsoft Purview Data Map, and use Microsoft Defender for Cloud for network security groups.
Why it's wrong here
MFA without phishing-resistant method is insufficient; Data Map is for scanning, not automatic labeling; Defender for Cloud is not for lateral movement detection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse MFA (which can be phishable) with phishing-resistant authentication (e.g., FIDO2 or certificate-based), and they may overlook that automatic classification requires auto-labeling policies, not manual labeling or data discovery tools like Data Map.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
PIM works by requiring role activation with approval and time-bound access, eliminating standing privileges; Authentication Strengths in Conditional Access enforce specific credential types like FIDO2 (WebAuthn) for phishing resistance. Auto-labeling policies in Microsoft Purview use trainable classifiers or exact data match (EDM) to automatically apply sensitivity labels to content containing patterns like credit card numbers (regex-based). Defender for Identity lateral movement path detection analyzes Kerberos and NTLM authentication events to identify potential attack paths, using machine learning on Active Directory logs.
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
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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: Implement Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for Global Administrator roles, configure Authentication Strengths to require FIDO2, create auto-labeling policies for credit card numbers, and enable Defender for Identity lateral movement path detection. — Option A is correct because it directly addresses all four CISO requirements: Privileged Identity Management (PIM) eliminates standing Global Administrator privileges by requiring just-in-time activation; Authentication Strengths with FIDO2 enforces phishing-resistant authentication for privileged roles; auto-labeling policies in Microsoft Purview automatically classify and protect sensitive data like credit card numbers in SharePoint Online; and Defender for Identity lateral movement path detection uses behavioral analytics to detect anomalous lateral movement, fulfilling the detection requirement.
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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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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