easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped

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?

Question 1easymultiple choice
Full question →

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?

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

A

Distractor review

Defense in depth

Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security controls but does not inherently assume a breach and verify every request.

B

Best answer

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

Distractor review

Shared responsibility

Shared responsibility defines the division of security obligations between cloud provider and customer, not the design of access verification.

D

Distractor review

Least privilege

Least privilege limits permissions to what is necessary but does not address verification from a breach assumption.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization

Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • Authentication checks who the user is.
  • Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
  • Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
  • AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.

TExam Day Tips

  • Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
  • Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
  • Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.

Related practice questions

Related SC-900 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

More questions from this exam

Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.

Question 1

A company must retain all customer contracts for 10 years to comply with industry regulations. After 10 years, the contracts must be permanently deleted. Which Microsoft Purview solution should be used to automate this process?

Question 2

A company uses a cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) application for customer relationship management. According to the shared responsibility model, which security responsibility is primarily handled by the customer?

Question 3

A company runs a mix of on-premises servers and Azure virtual machines. They deploy Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on all servers. The security team wants to create custom queries to hunt for a specific attack pattern that involves a sequence of events across multiple machines, such as a PowerShell script being downloaded and then executed on several servers. They need to write their own detection rules based on advanced hunting data. Which Microsoft 365 Defender capability should they use?

Question 4

A company runs a consumer-facing e-commerce website and wants to allow customers to sign in using their existing social media accounts such as Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Which Microsoft Entra ID solution should they implement?

Question 5

A company has a hybrid identity environment with Active Directory synchronizing to Microsoft Entra ID. They want users to be able to reset their own on-premises passwords via the cloud SSPR portal. What is the minimum license required for this capability?

Question 6

A company uses a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that is delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). According to the shared responsibility model, which security responsibility is primarily handled by the customer?

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SC-900 question test?

Authentication checks who the user is.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Zero Trust — This scenario describes the Zero Trust principle, which assumes breach and verifies each request regardless of location. Defense in depth uses multiple layers, not continuous verification. Shared responsibility defines cloud security roles. Least privilege limits permissions but does not assume breach.

What should I do if I get this SC-900 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.

Discussion

Loading comments…

Sign in to join the discussion.