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 designing a defense strategy for the organization's network. The architect assumes that an attacker may already have breached the perimeter and is operating inside the network. Therefore, the design does not automatically trust any user or device, even if they are inside the corporate network, and requires continuous verification for every access request. Which security principle does this approach best represent?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Why wrong: Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security controls but does not inherently assume a breach and verify every request.
B
Zero Trust
Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no implicit trust and requires continuous verification of every access request, even from inside the network.
C
Shared responsibility
Why wrong: Shared responsibility defines the division of security obligations between cloud provider and customer, not the design of access verification.
D
Least privilege
Why wrong: Least privilege limits permissions to what is necessary but does not address verification from a breach assumption.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Zero Trust
The Zero Trust security principle is based on the assumption that an attacker may already be inside the network, so no user or device is automatically trusted, regardless of location. This model requires continuous verification for every access request, enforcing strict identity verification and least-privilege access controls at each step. The scenario directly describes the core tenet of Zero Trust: 'never trust, always verify.'
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
Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security controls but does not inherently assume a breach and verify every request.
✓
Zero Trust
Why this is correct
Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no implicit trust and requires continuous verification of every access request, even from inside the network.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Shared responsibility
Why it's wrong here
Shared responsibility defines the division of security obligations between cloud provider and customer, not the design of access verification.
✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege limits permissions to what is necessary but does not address verification from a breach assumption.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Zero Trust with defense in depth because both involve multiple security layers, but Zero Trust specifically requires continuous verification and assumes breach, whereas defense in depth does not mandate per-request trust evaluation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Zero Trust enforces micro-segmentation and per-request authentication, often using technologies like Azure Active Directory Conditional Access, which evaluates signals such as user risk, device compliance, and location in real time. Under the hood, this relies on protocols like OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect for token-based access, and network policies that block lateral movement by default. In a real-world scenario, even a domain-joined machine on the corporate LAN must re-authenticate and pass health checks before accessing a sensitive database.
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 — The Zero Trust security principle is based on the assumption that an attacker may already be inside the network, so no user or device is automatically trusted, regardless of location. This model requires continuous verification for every access request, enforcing strict identity verification and least-privilege access controls at each step. The scenario directly describes the core tenet of Zero Trust: 'never trust, always verify.'
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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