- A
Zero Trust
Zero Trust is a security model that eliminates implicit trust and continuously validates every phase of a digital interaction. It assumes breach, verifies explicitly, and uses least privilege access.
- B
Shared responsibility model
Why wrong: The shared responsibility model defines which security tasks are handled by the cloud provider versus the customer. It does not prescribe the 'assume breach' or 'always verify' principles of Zero Trust.
- C
Defense in depth
Why wrong: Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security controls (e.g., firewall, antivirus, access control) to protect assets. While it is a sound strategy, it does not explicitly incorporate the 'assume breach' and 'continuous verification' pillars of Zero Trust.
- D
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Why wrong: IAM is a framework of policies and technologies for ensuring the right users have the right access. It is a component of security but not the comprehensive model described in the scenario.
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's security team has adopted a strategy that assumes a breach has already occurred. They implement network segmentation, apply strict least privilege access, continuously verify all access requests, and never trust users or devices solely because they are inside the network perimeter. This approach best describes which security model?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Clue:
"never"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
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
Zero Trust
The scenario explicitly describes the core tenets of the Zero Trust model: assume breach, enforce least privilege, segment networks, and never trust any user or device based solely on network location. Zero Trust, as defined by NIST SP 800-207, mandates continuous verification of every access request, treating every request as if it originates from an untrusted network, which directly matches the company's strategy.
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.
- ✓
Zero Trust
Why this is correct
Zero Trust is a security model that eliminates implicit trust and continuously validates every phase of a digital interaction. It assumes breach, verifies explicitly, and uses least privilege access.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "least", "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Shared responsibility model
Why it's wrong here
The shared responsibility model defines which security tasks are handled by the cloud provider versus the customer. It does not prescribe the 'assume breach' or 'always verify' principles of Zero Trust.
- ✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security controls (e.g., firewall, antivirus, access control) to protect assets. While it is a sound strategy, it does not explicitly incorporate the 'assume breach' and 'continuous verification' pillars of Zero Trust.
- ✗
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Why it's wrong here
IAM is a framework of policies and technologies for ensuring the right users have the right access. It is a component of security but not the comprehensive model described in the scenario.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'Defense in depth' with Zero Trust because both involve multiple security controls, but Defense in depth does not require the 'assume breach' mindset or the elimination of implicit trust based on network perimeter, which is the defining characteristic of Zero Trust.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
IAM is a framework of policies and technologies for ensuring the right users have the right access. It is a component of security but not the comprehensive model described in the scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Zero Trust enforces micro-segmentation using technologies like Azure Network Security Groups (NSGs) or software-defined perimeters, and it mandates that every access request be authenticated and authorized using protocols such as OAuth 2.0 or SAML, even for internal traffic. A real-world scenario is a company using Azure AD Conditional Access to require MFA and device compliance for every access to an internal SharePoint site, regardless of whether the user is on the corporate LAN or a coffee shop Wi-Fi, effectively eliminating implicit trust based on network location.
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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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: Zero Trust — The scenario explicitly describes the core tenets of the Zero Trust model: assume breach, enforce least privilege, segment networks, and never trust any user or device based solely on network location. Zero Trust, as defined by NIST SP 800-207, mandates continuous verification of every access request, treating every request as if it originates from an untrusted network, which directly matches the company's strategy.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best", "least", "never". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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