SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
A security administrator configures user accounts so that employees have only the permissions necessary to perform their job functions and no more. Which security concept is being applied?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'least privilege' with 'separation of duties' because both involve limiting access, but separation of duties focuses on splitting tasks across multiple people to prevent collusion, not on minimizing individual permissions.
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
✓
Least privilege
The principle of least privilege dictates that users should be granted only the permissions necessary to perform their specific job functions and no more. By configuring accounts with minimal access rights, the administrator directly applies this concept to reduce the attack surface and limit potential damage from compromised credentials.
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 comprehensive security strategy that employs multiple, overlapping security controls to protect information and systems. This layered approach ensures that if one security control fails or is bypassed, other controls are in place to prevent or detect an intrusion. While least privilege can be a component within a defense-in-depth strategy, the strategy itself describes the overall architectural philosophy of multiple security layers, rather than the specific action of configuring individual user account permissions.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing a company implementing multiple security layers (e.g., firewall, antivirus, access controls, encryption) to protect against threats would make defense in depth the correct answer.
- ✓
Least privilege
Why this is correct
Least privilege is a fundamental security principle where users, applications, or systems are granted only the minimum necessary permissions to perform their specific tasks and nothing more. By configuring user accounts with only the essential rights, a security administrator significantly reduces the potential attack surface and limits the 'blast radius' if an account is compromised. This practice directly aligns with the action of an administrator configuring user accounts to restrict their access to only what is absolutely required for their job functions.
- ✗
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties is an organizational control designed to mitigate risk by ensuring that no single individual has complete control over a critical process or transaction. It involves distributing responsibilities for key tasks among different people, preventing any one person from perpetrating fraud or making significant errors without detection. While a vital security and compliance practice, it differs from simply limiting the permissions of a single user account, which is the focus of the question.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing a policy where no single person has complete control over a financial transaction, requiring two different employees to authorize and execute payments, would make separation of duties the correct answer.
- ✗
Zero Trust
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no implicit trust and verifies every access request; while it includes least privilege as a principle, it is a broader framework and not solely about minimal permissions.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing a network architecture where all resources are segmented, access is continuously verified, and no device or user is trusted by default, even if inside the corporate perimeter.
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.
✓Least privilegeCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Least privilege is a fundamental security principle where users, applications, or systems are granted only the minimum necessary permissions to perform their specific tasks and nothing more. By configuring user accounts with only the essential rights, a security administrator significantly reduces the potential attack surface and limits the 'blast radius' if an account is compromised. This practice directly aligns with the action of an administrator configuring user accounts to restrict their access to only what is absolutely required for their job functions.
✗Defense in depthWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Defense in depth is a layered security strategy using multiple controls, not specifically about limiting permissions to only what is necessary for a job role.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing a company implementing multiple security layers (e.g., firewall, antivirus, access controls, encryption) to protect against threats would make defense in depth the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the concept of limiting permissions with a broader security strategy, thinking that least privilege is just one layer of defense in depth.
✗Separation of dutiesWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Separation of duties involves dividing critical tasks among multiple users to prevent fraud or error, not limiting individual permissions to only what is necessary.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing a policy where no single person has complete control over a financial transaction, requiring two different employees to authorize and execute payments, would make separation of duties the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'least privilege' with 'separation of duties' because both concepts involve restricting access, but they address different security principles.
✗Zero TrustWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no implicit trust and requires continuous verification, not specifically about limiting permissions to job functions.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing a network architecture where all resources are segmented, access is continuously verified, and no device or user is trusted by default, even if inside the corporate perimeter.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the principle of least privilege with Zero Trust because both involve restricting access, but Zero Trust is broader and includes continuous verification, not just minimal permissions.
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
Access control
Access control is the security practice of determining who or what is allowed to view, use, or enter a resource, and under what conditions.
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every SC-900 question from scratch — 1,250 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.