The answer is enabling network security groups on subnets to restrict traffic, which is a core recommendation within the Azure Security Benchmark. This control falls under the network security category, specifically enforcing micro-segmentation and limiting east-west traffic flow to reduce the attack surface. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this tests your ability to map Defender for Cloud’s regulatory compliance dashboard to the ASB framework, where NSG rules are a primary technical control for network hardening. A common trap is confusing this with application security groups or Azure Firewall policies—remember that the ASB explicitly calls for subnet-level NSG enforcement as a baseline. For a memory tip, think “NSG on subnet = first line of defense” to distinguish it from higher-level perimeter controls.
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 planning a security baseline for Azure resources using Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Which THREE recommendations are part of the Azure Security Benchmark?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implement role-based access control (RBAC) for resource management
Option A is correct because the Azure Security Benchmark (ASB) includes identity and access control recommendations, specifically recommending role-based access control (RBAC) to manage resource access. RBAC is a foundational security control that enforces the principle of least privilege, and it is explicitly listed in the ASB under the Identity Management (IM) control family.
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 role-based access control (RBAC) for resource management
Why this is correct
Core identity and access control recommendation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Enable multi-factor authentication for all privileged accounts
Why this is correct
Part of identity security controls in the benchmark.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Disable TLS 1.0 and enable TLS 1.2
Why it's wrong here
While a good practice, the benchmark specifically recommends 'enable network security groups' over this general TLS advice.
✗
Use Point-to-Site VPN for remote access
Why it's wrong here
Not a benchmark recommendation; the benchmark focuses on network security controls like NSGs and Azure Firewall.
✓
Enable network security groups on subnets to restrict traffic
Why this is correct
Directly aligns with network security recommendations in the benchmark.
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 the Azure Security Benchmark with general security best practices or the Azure Well-Architected Framework, leading them to select recommendations like disabling TLS 1.0 or using VPNs, which are not part of the benchmark's specific control set.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Azure Security Benchmark is a set of high-impact security recommendations based on common compliance frameworks and Microsoft's own threat intelligence. It is organized into control families such as Network Security (NS), Identity Management (IM), and Privileged Access (PA). For example, the recommendation to enable network security groups on subnets (Option E) falls under the NS family, specifically NS-1, which mandates network segmentation and traffic filtering to reduce lateral movement risks.
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: Implement role-based access control (RBAC) for resource management — Option A is correct because the Azure Security Benchmark (ASB) includes identity and access control recommendations, specifically recommending role-based access control (RBAC) to manage resource access. RBAC is a foundational security control that enforces the principle of least privilege, and it is explicitly listed in the ASB under the Identity Management (IM) control family.
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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