The answer is authentication. This process is primarily enforcing authentication because it verifies the user’s identity through multi-factor authentication (MFA), combining something they know (the password) with something they have (the temporary code sent to their phone). On the Microsoft SC-900 exam, understanding the distinction between authentication and authorization is critical: authentication confirms who you are, while authorization determines what you can access. A common trap is confusing the two when a scenario includes both steps, but the key is to identify which principle is being directly enforced by the sign-in flow itself. Remember, authentication always comes first—it’s the gatekeeper that checks your ID before you can even ask for permission. A simple memory tip: “AuthN before AuthZ”—think of authentication as proving your name, and authorization as showing your ticket.
SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity. 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.
A company implements a sign-in process where a user must provide their password and then enter a temporary code sent to their mobile phone. Which security principle is this process primarily enforcing?
Why wrong: Authorization determines what resources a user can access, not how they prove their identity.
B
Authentication
Authentication verifies identity. Multi-factor authentication requires two or more forms of verification, such as a password and a code from a phone.
C
Accounting
Why wrong: Accounting involves tracking user activities for auditing and logging purposes, not verifying identity at sign-in.
D
Non-repudiation
Why wrong: Non-repudiation ensures that a user cannot deny an action (e.g., digitally signing a document), but it is not the primary principle being enforced during sign-in.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Authentication
The process of verifying a user's identity by requiring both a password (something they know) and a temporary code sent to their mobile phone (something they have) is a classic implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA). Authentication is the security principle that confirms the identity of a user, device, or system before granting access. This sign-in flow directly enforces authentication by combining two distinct factors to prove the user is who they claim to be.
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.
✗
Authorization
Why it's wrong here
Authorization determines what resources a user can access, not how they prove their identity.
✓
Authentication
Why this is correct
Authentication verifies identity. Multi-factor authentication requires two or more forms of verification, such as a password and a code from a phone.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Accounting
Why it's wrong here
Accounting involves tracking user activities for auditing and logging purposes, not verifying identity at sign-in.
✗
Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation ensures that a user cannot deny an action (e.g., digitally signing a document), but it is not the primary principle being enforced during sign-in.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse authentication (proving identity) with authorization (granting permissions), especially when the question describes a multi-step sign-in process that seems to 'allow access' — but the core principle being enforced is identity verification, not access control.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, this process implements MFA by requiring two different authentication factors: a knowledge factor (password) and a possession factor (temporary code from an authenticator app or SMS). Protocols such as TOTP (RFC 6238) generate time-based one-time passwords that are valid for a short window (typically 30 seconds), adding a layer of security against credential theft. In a real-world scenario, even if an attacker obtains the user's password through phishing, they cannot complete authentication without also possessing the user's mobile device.
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-900 question in full detail.
Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity — This question tests Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Authentication — The process of verifying a user's identity by requiring both a password (something they know) and a temporary code sent to their mobile phone (something they have) is a classic implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA). Authentication is the security principle that confirms the identity of a user, device, or system before granting access. This sign-in flow directly enforces authentication by combining two distinct factors to prove the user is who they claim to be.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A user logs into the company's network using their username and password. After successful login, the user attempts to open a financial report but receives an access denied message because they are not a member of the 'Finance' security group. Which security concept is best illustrated by the access denial?
easy
A.Authentication
✓ B.Authorization
C.Accounting
D.Non-repudiation
Why B: The access denial occurs because the user lacks the necessary permissions to open the financial report, even though their identity was verified. This is the core function of authorization, which determines what resources an authenticated user can access. In this scenario, the user is authenticated but not authorized to access the report due to missing group membership.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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