SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions
A multinational corporation uses Microsoft Purview to manage data compliance. The legal team needs to preserve all email and Teams messages related to a pending lawsuit for an indefinite period, even if users delete them. The messages must be held in place and not modifiable by users. Which Microsoft Purview feature should the legal team use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a retention policy is equivalent to a legal hold; retention policies are for compliance retention, not litigation preservation.
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
✓
Microsoft Purview eDiscovery hold (case hold)
An eDiscovery hold (case hold) is specifically designed to preserve content for legal cases. It can be applied to mailboxes, sites, and Teams messages, and it prevents users from deleting or altering the data. The other options do not provide the legal hold functionality required to preserve data indefinitely for a lawsuit.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Microsoft Purview eDiscovery hold (case hold)
Why this is correct
An eDiscovery hold, also known as a case hold, is used to preserve content for litigation. It can be applied to Exchange Online mailboxes, SharePoint sites, OneDrive accounts, and Teams messages. Holds prevent users from deleting or modifying content, and they preserve data indefinitely until the hold is released. This meets the requirement to preserve email and Teams messages for a pending lawsuit.
- ✗
Microsoft Purview retention policy
Why it's wrong here
A retention policy can retain content for a specified period, but it does not provide the legal hold capabilities required for litigation. Retention policies are designed for regulatory or business retention, not for preserving data for legal cases. They also do not prevent users from modifying or deleting content if the policy allows deletion after retention. For a lawsuit, a litigation hold is needed to ensure data is preserved and immutable.
- ✗
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management policy
Why it's wrong here
Insider Risk Management focuses on detecting and mitigating internal risks, such as data theft or leaks. It does not provide legal hold capabilities. While it can generate alerts and cases, it does not preserve content in place or prevent users from modifying it. Thus, it is not suitable for preserving data for litigation.
- ✗
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy
Why it's wrong here
DLP policies are used to prevent data leakage in real time, not to preserve data for legal purposes. They can block or encrypt content, but they do not place a hold on data or prevent users from deleting it. DLP is not designed for legal hold scenarios. Therefore, it cannot ensure that email and Teams messages are preserved for a lawsuit.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Communication Compliance
Key term
eDiscovery
eDiscovery is the process of identifying, collecting, and producing electronic information for legal cases or investigations.
Key term
General Data Protection Regulation
A European Union law that gives individuals control over their personal data and sets strict rules for how organizations collect, store, and process that data.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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