Question 1easymultiple choice
Full question →easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company secures its network by deploying a firewall at the perimeter, an intrusion prevention system on internal segments, endpoint antivirus on all workstations, and encrypting sensitive data at rest and in transit. This layered approach ensures that if one control fails, others still provide protection. Which security concept does this strategy best represent?
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
Least privilege
Least privilege is the principle of granting users only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks. While important, the described layered controls do not primarily limit permissions; they add multiple defensive barriers.
B
Best answer
Defense in depth
Correct. Defense in depth uses multiple, overlapping security controls (firewalls, IPS, antivirus, encryption) so that failure of one does not compromise the entire security posture. This is exactly what the company is implementing.
C
Distractor review
Zero Trust
Zero Trust is a security model based on 'never trust, always verify' and assumes breach. It focuses on continuous verification of every access request, not just deploying layered controls. While defense in depth can be part of a Zero Trust architecture, the scenario describes only the layered approach, not the full Zero Trust model.
D
Distractor review
Separation of duties
Separation of duties prevents a single person from having too much control over a critical process (e.g., one person requests a purchase, another approves). The scenario describes technical security layers, not task separation among people.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
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?
Authentication checks who the user is.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Defense in depth — Defense in depth is a security strategy that uses multiple layers of defense to protect assets. If one layer is breached, additional layers help prevent or mitigate the attack. The scenario describes exactly this: firewalls, IPS, antivirus, and encryption at different layers. Validating that the candidate can distinguish defense in depth from other principles like least privilege (restricting access), Zero Trust (assuming breach and verifying explicitly), and separation of duties (splitting critical tasks among multiple people) is essential for the SC-900 exam.
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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