The correct answer is the principle of least privilege. This security principle is being applied because the policy restricts the Sales user’s access to only sales-related documents, explicitly denying access to Finance and HR folders, which ensures the user has the minimum permissions necessary to perform their job. On the Microsoft SC-900 exam, this concept tests your understanding of how identity and access management controls, such as role-based access control (RBAC) in Microsoft 365, enforce granular permissions to reduce security risks. A common trap is confusing least privilege with separation of duties or need-to-know; remember that least privilege focuses on the minimum rights for a specific role, not just limiting visibility. For a quick memory tip, think “only what you need, nothing more”—like giving a salesperson the key to the sales file cabinet but not to finance or HR.
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. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 has a document management system. The security policy requires that a user in the Sales department can only view documents related to sales and cannot access documents in the Finance or HR folders. Which security principle is being applied?
Why wrong: Availability ensures systems are accessible when needed, but this scenario focuses on restricting access to specific data, not on uptime.
B
Least privilege
Correct. Least privilege restricts permissions to only what is necessary for the job, which is exactly what is described in the scenario.
C
Defense in depth
Why wrong: Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security controls, but the scenario only discusses one access control policy, not a layered approach.
D
Non-repudiation
Why wrong: Non-repudiation ensures that actions cannot be denied later, typically via digital signatures, which is not relevant here.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Least privilege
The security policy restricts a Sales user's access to only sales-related documents, explicitly denying access to Finance and HR folders. This aligns with the principle of least privilege, which mandates that users be granted only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their job functions. In Microsoft 365, this is implemented via role-based access control (RBAC) or sensitivity labels that enforce read-only access on specific SharePoint document libraries or folders.
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.
✗
Availability
Why it's wrong here
Availability ensures systems are accessible when needed, but this scenario focuses on restricting access to specific data, not on uptime.
✓
Least privilege
Why this is correct
Correct. Least privilege restricts permissions to only what is necessary for the job, which is exactly what is described in the scenario.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security controls, but the scenario only discusses one access control policy, not a layered approach.
✗
Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation ensures that actions cannot be denied later, typically via digital signatures, which is not relevant here.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Microsoft often tests least privilege by contrasting it with defense in depth, but the trap here is that candidates confuse a single access restriction (least privilege) with a multi-layered security strategy (defense in depth).
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Availability ensures systems are accessible when needed, but this scenario focuses on restricting access to specific data, not on uptime.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Least privilege is enforced in Microsoft Entra ID through directory roles and in SharePoint via permission levels (e.g., 'Read' vs. 'Contribute'). Under the hood, SharePoint uses security trimming in search results: a user querying for 'documents' will only see items where their access token includes the necessary scope claims. In a real-world scenario, a misconfigured permission inheritance (e.g., breaking inheritance on a subfolder) could inadvertently grant broader access, violating least privilege.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-900 question in full detail.
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: Least privilege — The security policy restricts a Sales user's access to only sales-related documents, explicitly denying access to Finance and HR folders. This aligns with the principle of least privilege, which mandates that users be granted only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their job functions. In Microsoft 365, this is implemented via role-based access control (RBAC) or sensitivity labels that enforce read-only access on specific SharePoint document libraries or folders.
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
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company implements a policy where each employee is granted only the permissions necessary to perform their specific job role. For example, a marketing specialist has read-only access to the customer database and cannot modify financial records. Which security principle is primarily being applied?
easy
A.Defense in depth
✓ B.Least privilege
C.Zero Trust
D.Separation of duties
Why B: The principle of least privilege dictates that users should be granted only the permissions necessary to perform their job functions. In this scenario, the marketing specialist receives read-only access to the customer database and no access to financial records, which directly aligns with limiting permissions to the minimum required. This reduces the attack surface and limits potential damage from accidental or malicious actions.
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Question Discussion
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