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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 user logs into a company portal by entering a username and password. After successful login, the system checks if the user is a member of the 'Sales' group and then grants access to the sales dashboard. Which two security concepts are demonstrated in this process? (Choose all that apply.) (Choose two.)
Correct. The user provided credentials (username/password) to prove their identity, which is authentication.
B
Authorization
Correct. After authentication, the system checked group membership to grant access to the sales dashboard, which is authorization.
C
Non-repudiation
Why wrong: Incorrect. Non-repudiation involves providing proof of the origin or integrity of data (e.g., digital signatures). This is not demonstrated in the scenario.
D
Accounting
Why wrong: Incorrect. Accounting involves logging and tracking user activities for auditing. The scenario does not mention any logging or tracking of actions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Authentication
Authentication is demonstrated because the user proves their identity by providing a username and password, which the system verifies before allowing access. This is the process of validating credentials, typically against a directory service like Azure AD or an on-premises Active Directory, confirming the user is who they claim to be.
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.
✓
Authentication
Why this is correct
Correct. The user provided credentials (username/password) to prove their identity, which is authentication.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Authorization
Why this is correct
Correct. After authentication, the system checked group membership to grant access to the sales dashboard, which is authorization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Non-repudiation involves providing proof of the origin or integrity of data (e.g., digital signatures). This is not demonstrated in the scenario.
✗
Accounting
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Accounting involves logging and tracking user activities for auditing. The scenario does not mention any logging or tracking of actions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse authentication (verifying identity) with authorization (verifying permissions), and may incorrectly select non-repudiation or accounting because they sound like security concepts, but neither is involved in the simple login and group-check process described.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Incorrect. Non-repudiation involves providing proof of the origin or integrity of data (e.g., digital signatures). This is not demonstrated in the scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, authentication typically uses protocols like Kerberos or SAML to verify the password hash against a secure store, while authorization relies on access control lists (ACLs) or role-based access control (RBAC) to check group membership. In Azure AD, after authentication, a token is issued containing claims, and the application evaluates the 'groups' claim to determine if the user belongs to 'Sales' before granting dashboard access.
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: Authentication — Authentication is demonstrated because the user proves their identity by providing a username and password, which the system verifies before allowing access. This is the process of validating credentials, typically against a directory service like Azure AD or an on-premises Active Directory, confirming the user is who they claim to be.
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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