SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
A security architect explains the Zero Trust model to the board. They state that every access request must be fully authenticated and authorized based on identity, device health, location, and risk, regardless of whether the user is on the corporate network. Which Zero Trust principle does this statement represent?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse 'Verify explicitly' with 'Least privilege' because both involve access control, but 'Verify explicitly' is about the continuous authentication/authorization of every request, while 'Least privilege' is about limiting permissions after access is granted.
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
✓
Verify explicitly
The statement emphasizes that every access request must be authenticated and authorized based on identity, device health, location, and risk, regardless of network location. This directly aligns with the 'Verify explicitly' principle of Zero Trust, which mandates that authentication and authorization are performed for every request using all available data points, not just once at the perimeter.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Verify explicitly
Why this is correct
"Verify explicitly" is a foundational principle of the Zero Trust model, mandating that all access requests, regardless of origin or resource, are rigorously authenticated and authorized. This involves evaluating every available data point, or "signal," including user identity, location, device health, service or workload, data classification, and anomalous behavior, before granting access. It moves beyond traditional perimeter-based security to ensure that trust is never assumed and is continuously re-evaluated for every transaction.
- ✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
"Least privilege" is a critical security concept within the Zero Trust framework, dictating that users and devices should only be granted the minimum access rights necessary to perform their specific tasks or functions. While essential for minimizing the potential blast radius of a breach, this principle primarily addresses the scope of permissions *after* an entity has been authenticated and authorized. It does not, however, directly describe the comprehensive, multi-signal authentication and authorization process that defines "Verify explicitly."
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Assume breach
Why it's wrong here
The "Assume breach" tenet of Zero Trust acknowledges that breaches are inevitable and security defenses must be designed with this reality in mind. This principle emphasizes proactive measures such as microsegmentation, continuous monitoring for anomalous activity, and planning for rapid incident response to contain and mitigate the impact of a compromise. While crucial for resilience, it describes a mindset and strategy for post-compromise containment and prevention of lateral movement, rather than the initial, explicit verification process for every access request.
- ✗
Microsegmentation
Why it's wrong here
"Microsegmentation" is a network security technique that divides data centers and cloud environments into distinct, isolated security segments down to the individual workload level. This granular segmentation allows for the application of specific security policies to each segment, thereby enforcing least privilege and significantly restricting potential lateral movement by an attacker. Although a powerful enabler and implementation strategy for Zero Trust, microsegmentation is a technical control and not one of the three foundational principles of the Zero Trust model itself.
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Core Security Concepts
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
Key term
Verify explicitly
Verify explicitly means that a system must actively confirm a user's identity or permissions before granting access, rather than trusting implied or cached credentials.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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