SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
A company subscribes to a SaaS human resources application hosted by an external provider. The provider is responsible for maintaining the physical data centers, network infrastructure, and the underlying application software. The company is responsible for managing user accounts, configuring user permissions, and classifying the data they upload. Which security model does this arrangement primarily describe?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the shared responsibility model with defense in depth or Zero Trust, because all three involve 'security layers' or 'trust boundaries,' but only the shared responsibility model specifically defines the split of security obligations between a cloud provider and a customer.
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
✓
Shared responsibility model
The scenario explicitly describes a division of security responsibilities between the SaaS provider and the customer. The provider handles physical security, network infrastructure, and application software (security *of* the cloud), while the company manages user accounts, permissions, and data classification (security *in* the cloud). This is the core definition of the shared responsibility model, which is foundational to cloud computing and directly tested in SC-900.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth is a security strategy that involves implementing multiple, overlapping security controls to protect assets and data. This multi-layered approach aims to create redundancy and resilience, ensuring that if one security control fails, others are in place to prevent or detect a breach. While an essential principle for building robust security, it describes the architectural approach to security controls rather than defining the specific allocation of security duties between a SaaS provider and its customer.
When this WOULD be correct
A question asks: 'A company implements firewalls, intrusion detection, antivirus software, and employee security training to protect its network. Which security principle does this illustrate?' Defense in depth would be correct because it involves multiple overlapping layers of defense.
- ✗
Zero Trust
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust is a modern security model that operates on the principle of 'never trust, always verify,' requiring strict identity verification for every user and device attempting to access resources, regardless of their location. It focuses on granular access control, continuous verification, and least privilege access. While a critical paradigm for securing access within an application or infrastructure, it defines *how* access is managed and verified, not the division of security responsibilities for the underlying infrastructure, application maintenance, or data governance between a cloud provider and a customer in a SaaS model.
When this WOULD be correct
A question that asks: 'A company implements a policy requiring multi-factor authentication for all users, continuous monitoring of network traffic, and micro-segmentation to limit lateral movement. Which security model does this describe?' In that context, Zero Trust would be correct because it focuses on never trust, always verify.
- ✓
Shared responsibility model
Why this is correct
The shared responsibility model correctly defines the split of security tasks between the cloud provider and the customer based on the service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS). In this SaaS example, the provider handles infrastructure, and the customer handles data and access.
- ✗
CIA triad
Why it's wrong here
The CIA triad, comprising Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability, represents fundamental security objectives that any organization strives to achieve for its data and systems. While crucial for defining what security aims to protect (preventing unauthorized disclosure, ensuring accuracy, and guaranteeing access), it does not specify or delineate the division of security tasks or responsibilities between a cloud service provider and a customer in a shared environment like SaaS. It describes the 'what' of security, not the 'who' or 'how' of shared responsibility.
When this WOULD be correct
A question asks: 'A security analyst is evaluating a system to ensure that data is not altered by unauthorized parties and that it remains accessible to authorized users. Which security model is the analyst primarily applying?' In this context, the CIA triad would be correct as it directly addresses confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SC-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Shared responsibility modelCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
The shared responsibility model correctly defines the split of security tasks between the cloud provider and the customer based on the service model (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS). In this SaaS example, the provider handles infrastructure, and the customer handles data and access.
✗Defense in depthWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The question describes a division of security responsibilities between the provider and the company, which is the essence of the shared responsibility model, not defense in depth. Defense in depth refers to multiple layers of security controls, not the allocation of responsibilities.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question asks: 'A company implements firewalls, intrusion detection, antivirus software, and employee security training to protect its network. Which security principle does this illustrate?' Defense in depth would be correct because it involves multiple overlapping layers of defense.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the layered security approach (defense in depth) with the division of responsibilities, especially since both concepts involve multiple security measures or parties.
✗Zero TrustWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The question describes a clear division of security responsibilities between the provider and the company, which is the essence of the shared responsibility model. Zero Trust is a security framework that assumes no implicit trust and requires continuous verification, but it does not specifically address the division of responsibilities for different components of a cloud service.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question that asks: 'A company implements a policy requiring multi-factor authentication for all users, continuous monitoring of network traffic, and micro-segmentation to limit lateral movement. Which security model does this describe?' In that context, Zero Trust would be correct because it focuses on never trust, always verify.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may associate Zero Trust with modern cloud security and mistakenly think it applies to any cloud-related security arrangement, overlooking that the question specifically asks about the division of responsibilities.
✗CIA triadWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) is a security model for guiding information security policies, but it does not describe the division of responsibilities between a cloud provider and customer. The question specifically asks about the arrangement of responsibilities, which is the shared responsibility model.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question asks: 'A security analyst is evaluating a system to ensure that data is not altered by unauthorized parties and that it remains accessible to authorized users. Which security model is the analyst primarily applying?' In this context, the CIA triad would be correct as it directly addresses confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the shared responsibility model with the CIA triad because both are fundamental security concepts. They might think that the division of responsibilities is a way to ensure CIA principles, but the question explicitly asks about the arrangement of responsibilities, not the security objectives.
Analysis generated from the official SC-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Core Security Concepts
Key term
Security model
A security model is a formal framework that defines how subjects (users, processes) can access objects (files, resources) based on rules, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Key term
Data classification
Data classification is the process of organizing data into categories based on its sensitivity, value, and criticality to an organization, so that appropriate security controls can be applied.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.