- A
Implement Azure AD Identity Governance with access reviews. Use Conditional Access to require hybrid Azure AD joined devices. Block legacy authentication by disabling protocols in Exchange Online. Use Azure Sentinel without Defender XDR.
Why wrong: Access reviews are not real-time; blocking legacy at Exchange Online is incomplete; missing Defender XDR integration.
- B
Use Azure AD B2B for external users only. Configure Conditional Access with MFA for all users. Use Azure AD Identity Protection for risk. Block legacy authentication at the firewall level.
Why wrong: Blocking at firewall is coarse; B2B unnecessary for internal users.
- C
Deploy Microsoft Intune for mobile device management and require compliant devices. Use Conditional Access to block legacy protocols. Rely on Azure ATP (now Microsoft Defender for Identity) for risk signals.
Why wrong: Intune compliance is device-based, not real-time risk; Conditional Access alone cannot block legacy protocols without explicit policy.
- D
Use Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies with session controls from Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. Enable Microsoft Entra ID Protection to feed risk signals into Conditional Access. Block legacy authentication via a Conditional Access policy targeting 'Exchange Active Sync' and 'Other clients'. Integrate Microsoft Sentinel to ingest alerts from Defender XDR.
Directly addresses real-time risk, legacy auth blocking, and central SIEM integration.
Quick Answer
The answer is to combine Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies with session controls from Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, feed real-time risk signals from Microsoft Entra ID Protection into those policies, and block legacy authentication via a Conditional Access policy targeting Exchange Active Sync and Other clients, while integrating Microsoft Sentinel to ingest alerts from Defender XDR. This directly implements the verify explicitly principle because it evaluates every access request against dynamic risk signals—such as user or sign-in risk from ID Protection—before enforcing granular session controls like app restriction or data exfiltration prevention via Defender for Cloud Apps. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your ability to layer Zero Trust controls rather than relying on a single tool; a common trap is to block legacy authentication by disabling protocols in Exchange Online or at the firewall, but the correct approach uses a Conditional Access policy to explicitly deny those clients. Memory tip: think “ID Protection feeds the risk, Conditional Access enforces the rule, Defender for Cloud Apps controls the session, and Sentinel watches everything.”
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.
Fabrikam is a healthcare organization that uses Microsoft 365 E5 and Azure. They have a hybrid identity environment with Active Directory on-premises synced to Microsoft Entra ID. The security team wants to implement a Zero Trust strategy following the 'verify explicitly' principle. They need to ensure that all access to Microsoft 365 services and Azure applications is conditionally enforced based on real-time risk signals. Additionally, they want to block legacy authentication protocols that do not support modern authentication. The solution must integrate with Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel for threat intelligence. Which combination of technologies 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
Use Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies with session controls from Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. Enable Microsoft Entra ID Protection to feed risk signals into Conditional Access. Block legacy authentication via a Conditional Access policy targeting 'Exchange Active Sync' and 'Other clients'. Integrate Microsoft Sentinel to ingest alerts from Defender XDR.
Option D is correct because it directly implements the 'verify explicitly' principle by using Microsoft Entra ID Protection to feed real-time risk signals into Conditional Access policies, which then enforce session controls via Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. It blocks legacy authentication through a targeted Conditional Access policy (not just disabling protocols in Exchange Online or at the firewall), and integrates Microsoft Sentinel to ingest alerts from Defender XDR for centralized threat intelligence. This combination ensures all access to Microsoft 365 and Azure applications is conditionally enforced based on dynamic risk, while also addressing the requirement to block legacy protocols that lack modern authentication support.
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 Azure AD Identity Governance with access reviews. Use Conditional Access to require hybrid Azure AD joined devices. Block legacy authentication by disabling protocols in Exchange Online. Use Azure Sentinel without Defender XDR.
Why it's wrong here
Access reviews are not real-time; blocking legacy at Exchange Online is incomplete; missing Defender XDR integration.
- ✗
Use Azure AD B2B for external users only. Configure Conditional Access with MFA for all users. Use Azure AD Identity Protection for risk. Block legacy authentication at the firewall level.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking at firewall is coarse; B2B unnecessary for internal users.
- ✗
Deploy Microsoft Intune for mobile device management and require compliant devices. Use Conditional Access to block legacy protocols. Rely on Azure ATP (now Microsoft Defender for Identity) for risk signals.
Why it's wrong here
Intune compliance is device-based, not real-time risk; Conditional Access alone cannot block legacy protocols without explicit policy.
- ✓
Use Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies with session controls from Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. Enable Microsoft Entra ID Protection to feed risk signals into Conditional Access. Block legacy authentication via a Conditional Access policy targeting 'Exchange Active Sync' and 'Other clients'. Integrate Microsoft Sentinel to ingest alerts from Defender XDR.
Why this is correct
Directly addresses real-time risk, legacy auth blocking, and central SIEM integration.
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 think blocking legacy authentication must be done at the protocol level (e.g., disabling in Exchange Online or firewall) rather than using a Conditional Access policy, which is the recommended and more comprehensive method in a Zero Trust architecture.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Microsoft Entra ID Protection uses machine learning models to detect risk events such as leaked credentials, anonymous IP addresses, and atypical travel, assigning a risk level (low, medium, high) to each sign-in or user. Conditional Access policies can then evaluate these risk levels in real time, triggering actions like requiring MFA, blocking access, or redirecting to a session control via Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (e.g., for app-level restrictions). Blocking legacy authentication via a Conditional Access policy targeting 'Exchange Active Sync' and 'Other clients' is more effective than disabling protocols in Exchange Online because it applies to all Microsoft 365 services and uses the 'Client Apps' condition to filter out protocols that do not support modern authentication (e.g., POP3, IMAP, SMTP, MAPI over HTTP).
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: Use Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies with session controls from Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. Enable Microsoft Entra ID Protection to feed risk signals into Conditional Access. Block legacy authentication via a Conditional Access policy targeting 'Exchange Active Sync' and 'Other clients'. Integrate Microsoft Sentinel to ingest alerts from Defender XDR. — Option D is correct because it directly implements the 'verify explicitly' principle by using Microsoft Entra ID Protection to feed real-time risk signals into Conditional Access policies, which then enforce session controls via Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. It blocks legacy authentication through a targeted Conditional Access policy (not just disabling protocols in Exchange Online or at the firewall), and integrates Microsoft Sentinel to ingest alerts from Defender XDR for centralized threat intelligence. This combination ensures all access to Microsoft 365 and Azure applications is conditionally enforced based on dynamic risk, while also addressing the requirement to block legacy protocols that lack modern authentication support.
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
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