- A
Deploy passwordless authentication using Microsoft Authenticator with phone sign-in for all users
Why wrong: While passwordless, it still allows password fallback; 'verify explicitly' requires strong authentication without passwords.
- B
Enable users to sign in with Windows Hello for Business and allow password recovery via self-service
Why wrong: Windows Hello for Business is passwordless but still allows password fallback in some scenarios.
- C
Implement password hash synchronization and enforce MFA only for privileged users
Why wrong: This does not eliminate passwords for all users and relies on legacy authentication.
- D
Deploy passwordless authentication using FIDO2 security keys for all users
FIDO2 security keys provide strong, phishing-resistant authentication without passwords, aligning with Zero Trust verify explicitly.
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.
Your organization is migrating on-premises Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID. You need to design a solution that aligns with the Zero Trust principle of 'verify explicitly'. Which approach should you recommend for user authentication?
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
Deploy passwordless authentication using FIDO2 security keys for all users
D is correct because FIDO2 security keys provide phishing-resistant, passwordless authentication that aligns with the Zero Trust 'verify explicitly' principle by requiring a hardware-bound cryptographic proof of identity at every sign-in. This eliminates reliance on shared secrets (passwords) and ensures that authentication is explicitly verified through a physical device, meeting the strictest security requirements for user authentication.
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.
- ✗
Deploy passwordless authentication using Microsoft Authenticator with phone sign-in for all users
Why it's wrong here
While passwordless, it still allows password fallback; 'verify explicitly' requires strong authentication without passwords.
- ✗
Enable users to sign in with Windows Hello for Business and allow password recovery via self-service
Why it's wrong here
Windows Hello for Business is passwordless but still allows password fallback in some scenarios.
- ✗
Implement password hash synchronization and enforce MFA only for privileged users
Why it's wrong here
This does not eliminate passwords for all users and relies on legacy authentication.
- ✓
Deploy passwordless authentication using FIDO2 security keys for all users
Why this is correct
FIDO2 security keys provide strong, phishing-resistant authentication without passwords, aligning with Zero Trust verify explicitly.
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 'passwordless' with 'phishing-resistant,' assuming any passwordless method (like Authenticator) meets Zero Trust requirements, but only FIDO2 keys provide the hardware-backed, explicit verification that fully satisfies the 'verify explicitly' principle.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Windows Hello for Business is passwordless but still allows password fallback in some scenarios.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
FIDO2 security keys implement the WebAuthn standard (W3C) and CTAP2 protocol, where the private key never leaves the device and each authentication uses a unique challenge-response pair, making it immune to phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks. In a real-world scenario, an organization migrating to Entra ID can use FIDO2 keys to enforce device-bound authentication for all users, ensuring that even if a user's credentials are stolen, an attacker cannot authenticate without physical possession of the key.
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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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: Deploy passwordless authentication using FIDO2 security keys for all users — D is correct because FIDO2 security keys provide phishing-resistant, passwordless authentication that aligns with the Zero Trust 'verify explicitly' principle by requiring a hardware-bound cryptographic proof of identity at every sign-in. This eliminates reliance on shared secrets (passwords) and ensures that authentication is explicitly verified through a physical device, meeting the strictest security requirements for user authentication.
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.
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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