- A
Just-in-time access
Correct. The scenario describes temporary, time-limited elevated access upon request, which is exactly just-in-time (JIT) access.
- B
Least privilege
Why wrong: Incorrect. While JIT access aligns with least privilege, the specific mechanism of temporary permission grants on demand is JIT, not the general principle of minimal permanent permissions.
- C
Defense in depth
Why wrong: Incorrect. Defense in depth involves multiple overlapping layers of security (e.g., firewall, AV, encryption). The scenario describes a single access control technique.
- D
Zero Trust
Why wrong: Incorrect. Zero Trust is a comprehensive security model that includes continuous verification and micro-segmentation. JIT access is a component that supports Zero Trust, but the scenario best illustrates JIT itself.
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. 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.
A company's IT department implements a policy for server administrators: they must submit an access request to perform privileged tasks on critical servers. Each request is approved by a manager, and the granted elevated permissions automatically expire after four hours. This approach reduces the risk of standing privileges being exploited. Which security concept is primarily being applied?
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
Just-in-time access
Option A is correct because just-in-time (JIT) access is a security concept that grants elevated permissions only when needed, for a limited duration, and requires approval. In this scenario, the policy requires an access request, manager approval, and automatic expiration after four hours, which directly aligns with JIT access to reduce the risk of standing privileges being exploited.
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.
- ✓
Just-in-time access
Why this is correct
Correct. The scenario describes temporary, time-limited elevated access upon request, which is exactly just-in-time (JIT) access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. While JIT access aligns with least privilege, the specific mechanism of temporary permission grants on demand is JIT, not the general principle of minimal permanent permissions.
- ✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Defense in depth involves multiple overlapping layers of security (e.g., firewall, AV, encryption). The scenario describes a single access control technique.
- ✗
Zero Trust
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Zero Trust is a comprehensive security model that includes continuous verification and micro-segmentation. JIT access is a component that supports Zero Trust, but the scenario best illustrates JIT itself.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'least privilege' (a static principle of minimal permissions) with 'just-in-time access' (a dynamic, time-bound activation mechanism), but the question's emphasis on 'request, approval, and automatic expiration' specifically points to JIT, not just the principle of least privilege.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Incorrect. Defense in depth involves multiple overlapping layers of security (e.g., firewall, AV, encryption). The scenario describes a single access control technique.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Just-in-time access in Microsoft environments is often implemented using Privileged Identity Management (PIM) in Azure AD, which activates roles like Global Administrator for a configurable duration (e.g., 4 hours) after approval via Azure AD Access Reviews. Under the hood, PIM uses temporary role assignments with a start and end time, leveraging Azure AD's directory role definitions and audit logs to enforce JIT, reducing the attack surface from persistent privileged accounts. A real-world scenario is a server admin needing to reset a domain controller password; JIT ensures the elevated role is activated only for that task and automatically deactivated, preventing lateral movement if the admin's credentials are later compromised.
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.
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Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity — study guide chapter
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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: Just-in-time access — Option A is correct because just-in-time (JIT) access is a security concept that grants elevated permissions only when needed, for a limited duration, and requires approval. In this scenario, the policy requires an access request, manager approval, and automatic expiration after four hours, which directly aligns with JIT access to reduce the risk of standing privileges being exploited.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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