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. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 security architect is adopting a new security model that assumes breach and verifies every access request. The model eliminates implicit trust and requires continuous validation. Which security model is being implemented?
Why wrong: This model layers multiple security controls but does not specifically require continuous verification of every request. It assumes multiple layers of defense.
B
Zero Trust
Zero Trust is based on the principle of 'never trust, always verify,' assumes breach, and verifies every access request regardless of location or network.
C
Least Privilege
Why wrong: This principle grants only the minimum permissions needed, but it is a component of security models, not the overarching model described.
D
Shared Responsibility
Why wrong: This is a model defining responsibilities between cloud provider and customer, not the authentication/access validation model described.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Zero Trust
Zero Trust is the correct model because it explicitly assumes breach, eliminates implicit trust, and requires continuous validation of every access request. This aligns with the core Zero Trust principle of 'never trust, always verify,' which mandates that no user, device, or network is trusted by default, even if they are inside the corporate perimeter.
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.
✗
Defense in Depth
Why it's wrong here
This model layers multiple security controls but does not specifically require continuous verification of every request. It assumes multiple layers of defense.
✓
Zero Trust
Why this is correct
Zero Trust is based on the principle of 'never trust, always verify,' assumes breach, and verifies every access request regardless of location or network.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Least Privilege
Why it's wrong here
This principle grants only the minimum permissions needed, but it is a component of security models, not the overarching model described.
✗
Shared Responsibility
Why it's wrong here
This is a model defining responsibilities between cloud provider and customer, not the authentication/access validation model described.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Zero Trust with Least Privilege, but Zero Trust is a broader architectural model that includes continuous validation and breach assumption, whereas Least Privilege is only one component of access control.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Zero Trust enforces micro-segmentation and per-request authentication using technologies like Azure AD Conditional Access, which evaluates signals (user risk, device compliance, location) in real time before granting access. A real-world scenario is a user accessing a sensitive database from a personal device; Zero Trust would block the request if the device is not compliant, even if the user has valid credentials, because trust is never assumed based on network location alone.
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: Zero Trust — Zero Trust is the correct model because it explicitly assumes breach, eliminates implicit trust, and requires continuous validation of every access request. This aligns with the core Zero Trust principle of 'never trust, always verify,' which mandates that no user, device, or network is trusted by default, even if they are inside the corporate perimeter.
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.
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Question Discussion
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