Question 780 of 1,411

Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity →easyMultiple SelectObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is authentication and authorization. The password plus temporary code from a mobile app demonstrates multi-factor authentication (MFA), which verifies the user’s identity by requiring two distinct factors—something they know and something they have. The subsequent denial of access to the confidential document because the user is not a member of the 'Managers' group illustrates authorization, specifically enforced through role-based access control (RBAC), which governs what an authenticated user is permitted to do. On the SC-900 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between verifying identity (authentication) and granting permissions (authorization), a common trap where candidates confuse the two when MFA and RBAC appear together. Remember the mnemonic: “AuthN = Who you are, AuthZ = What you can do.”

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 requires users to enter a password and then a temporary code from a mobile app to sign in. After signing in, a user attempts to open a confidential document but is denied because they are not a member of the 'Managers' group. Which two security concepts are primarily demonstrated in this scenario?

Question 1easymulti select

Full question →

A
Authentication and Authorization
Correct. Entering credentials and then being denied access based on group membership are examples of authentication (proof of identity) and authorization (access rights).
B
Identification and Non-repudiation
Incorrect. Identification would simply be claiming an identity (e.g., providing a username). Non-repudiation ensures a user cannot deny an action, often using digital signatures. These are not the main concepts shown here.
C
Encryption and Hashing
Why wrong: Incorrect. Encryption protects data confidentiality, and hashing ensures integrity. Neither is demonstrated in this scenario.
D
Accounting and Auditing
Why wrong: Incorrect. Accounting tracks resource usage, and auditing logs events for review. While logging may occur, the primary concepts are authentication and authorization.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Authentication and Authorization

The scenario demonstrates two distinct security concepts: authentication and authorization. The password plus temporary code from a mobile app (a form of multi-factor authentication) verifies the user's identity, which is authentication. The subsequent denial of access to the confidential document because the user is not a member of the 'Managers' group is authorization—the process of determining what resources an authenticated user is permitted to access. In Microsoft Entra ID, authentication is handled via token issuance (e.g., SAML or OAuth 2.0), while authorization is enforced through role-based access control (RBAC) or directory role assignments.

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.

✓
Authentication and Authorization
Why this is correct
Correct. Entering credentials and then being denied access based on group membership are examples of authentication (proof of identity) and authorization (access rights).
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Identification and Non-repudiation
Why this is correct
Incorrect. Identification would simply be claiming an identity (e.g., providing a username). Non-repudiation ensures a user cannot deny an action, often using digital signatures. These are not the main concepts shown here.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Encryption and Hashing
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Encryption protects data confidentiality, and hashing ensures integrity. Neither is demonstrated in this scenario.
✗
Accounting and Auditing
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Accounting tracks resource usage, and auditing logs events for review. While logging may occur, the primary concepts are authentication and authorization.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates confuse authentication (proving identity) with authorization (granting access), and they may incorrectly select 'Identification and Non-repudiation' because they see the password entry as identification, but identification is the initial claim of identity (e.g., username), not the verification step shown in the scenario.

Trap categories for this question

Scenario analysis trap
Incorrect. Encryption protects data confidentiality, and hashing ensures integrity. Neither is demonstrated in this scenario.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, the temporary code from a mobile app is typically an OATH TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password) as defined in RFC 6238, which generates a 6-8 digit code that changes every 30 seconds. Authorization in Microsoft Entra ID relies on the OAuth 2.0 authorization framework, where an access token contains claims (e.g., group memberships) that are evaluated by the resource (e.g., SharePoint or an app) to enforce permissions. A subtle behavior: even if the user is authenticated, the token may not include the 'Managers' group claim if the group is not assigned to the application or if dynamic group membership rules exclude the user.

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.

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.

Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra practice questions

Practise SC-900 questions linked to Describe the capabilities of Microsoft Entra.

Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions practice questions

Practise SC-900 questions linked to Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions.

Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions practice questions

Practise SC-900 questions linked to Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions.

Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity practice questions

Practise SC-900 questions linked to Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity.

SC-900 fundamentals practice questions

Practise SC-900 questions linked to SC-900 fundamentals.

SC-900 scenario practice questions

Practise SC-900 questions linked to SC-900 scenario.

SC-900 troubleshooting practice questions

Practise SC-900 questions linked to SC-900 troubleshooting.

Practice this exam

Start a free SC-900 practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions 20 questions 30 questions 50 questions Timed 30

SC-900 practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SC-900 question test?

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 and Authorization — The scenario demonstrates two distinct security concepts: authentication and authorization. The password plus temporary code from a mobile app (a form of multi-factor authentication) verifies the user's identity, which is authentication. The subsequent denial of access to the confidential document because the user is not a member of the 'Managers' group is authorization—the process of determining what resources an authenticated user is permitted to access. In Microsoft Entra ID, authentication is handled via token issuance (e.g., SAML or OAuth 2.0), while authorization is enforced through role-based access control (RBAC) or directory role assignments.

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 →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

This SC-900 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-900 exam.