Quick Answer
The answer is selective wipe, also known as retire, which is the correct choice because it removes only corporate data from a personal device enrolled in Microsoft Intune while leaving personal data intact. This works by targeting managed app data and corporate profiles, stripping corporate email, documents, and VPN configurations without affecting personal photos, apps, or settings. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this concept tests your understanding of Intune’s device lifecycle actions, often appearing in scenario-based questions about data protection policies for BYOD environments. A common trap is confusing selective wipe with full wipe, which erases the entire device, or with device retirement, which removes the device from management but may not clean corporate data. Remember the memory tip: “Selective wipe is surgical—it only cuts corporate ties, not personal files.”
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities. 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 uses Microsoft Intune to manage devices. You need to ensure that corporate data on personally owned devices is removed when a user leaves the company, but personal data remains intact. What should you use?
Selective wipe (retire)
Selective wipe removes only corporate data.
Conditional Access policy
Why wrong: Conditional Access blocks access, doesn't remove data.
Full wipe
Why wrong: Full wipe removes all data including personal.
Device compliance policy
Why wrong: Compliance policies don't remove data.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Selective wipe (retire)
Selective wipe (retire) is the correct choice because it removes only corporate data from a personally owned device enrolled in Microsoft Intune, while preserving the user's personal data. This is achieved by targeting managed app data and corporate profiles, leaving personal apps, photos, and settings intact. It aligns with the requirement to protect corporate information upon employee departure without affecting the user's personal property.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Selective wipe (retire)
Why this is correct
Selective wipe removes only corporate data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Conditional Access policy
Why it's wrong here
Conditional Access blocks access, doesn't remove data.
Full wipe
Why it's wrong here
Full wipe removes all data including personal.
Device compliance policy
Why it's wrong here
Compliance policies don't remove data.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'selective wipe' with 'full wipe' or assume that a Conditional Access policy can enforce data removal, when in fact only selective wipe provides granular corporate data removal while preserving personal data.
Detailed technical explanation
Selective wipe in Intune leverages the MDM channel to revoke corporate certificates, remove managed apps, and delete corporate email profiles via Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) or Microsoft 365 app management. It uses the 'Retire' action, which targets the device's management profile and app protection policies, ensuring that only data tagged as corporate (e.g., via Intune app wrapping or MAM policies) is removed. A key subtlety is that selective wipe may not remove all corporate data if apps are not properly managed, so app protection policies must be configured to tag data correctly.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities — This question tests Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Selective wipe (retire) — Selective wipe (retire) is the correct choice because it removes only corporate data from a personally owned device enrolled in Microsoft Intune, while preserving the user's personal data. This is achieved by targeting managed app data and corporate profiles, leaving personal apps, photos, and settings intact. It aligns with the requirement to protect corporate information upon employee departure without affecting the user's personal property.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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