Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company hosts a line-of-business application on an Azure virtual machine. The IT team is responsible for configuring the operating system, installing security updates, and managing the application code. An auditor asks who is responsible for the physical security of the data center where the virtual machine runs. According to the shared responsibility model for cloud services, who is responsible?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
The customer
In IaaS, the customer does not have physical access to the data center and is not responsible for the physical infrastructure. The customer's responsibility starts at the operating system level.
B
Best answer
Microsoft
For IaaS, Microsoft is responsible for the physical data center, including physical security, hardware maintenance, and network infrastructure. This is a core tenet of the shared responsibility model.
C
Distractor review
Both the customer and Microsoft equally
Responsibilities are divided, not shared equally. Microsoft handles the physical layer; the customer handles the OS, apps, and data. Responsibility is not 50/50.
D
Distractor review
Neither – physical security is no longer needed in the cloud
Physical security remains critical, but it is the provider's responsibility. The statement 'no longer needed' is incorrect; security is still essential, just handled differently.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Related practice questions
Related SC-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A company must retain all customer contracts for 10 years to comply with industry regulations. After 10 years, the contracts must be permanently deleted. Which Microsoft Purview solution should be used to automate this process?
Question 2
A company uses a cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) application for customer relationship management. According to the shared responsibility model, which security responsibility is primarily handled by the customer?
Question 3
A company runs a mix of on-premises servers and Azure virtual machines. They deploy Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on all servers. The security team wants to create custom queries to hunt for a specific attack pattern that involves a sequence of events across multiple machines, such as a PowerShell script being downloaded and then executed on several servers. They need to write their own detection rules based on advanced hunting data. Which Microsoft 365 Defender capability should they use?
Question 4
A company runs a consumer-facing e-commerce website and wants to allow customers to sign in using their existing social media accounts such as Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Which Microsoft Entra ID solution should they implement?
Question 5
A company has a hybrid identity environment with Active Directory synchronizing to Microsoft Entra ID. They want users to be able to reset their own on-premises passwords via the cloud SSPR portal. What is the minimum license required for this capability?
Question 6
A company uses a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that is delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). According to the shared responsibility model, which security responsibility is primarily handled by the customer?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-900 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Microsoft — The shared responsibility model defines that for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) like Azure VMs, Microsoft (the cloud provider) is responsible for the physical security of the data centers, including hardware, networking, and physical access controls. The customer is responsible for securing the operating system, applications, and data. This distinction is crucial for compliance and security planning. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) shifts responsibility for physical security to the cloud provider, while the customer retains responsibility for the guest OS and above.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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