SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
An organization uses Microsoft Purview to manage data compliance. They need to automatically detect and protect credit card numbers stored in SharePoint Online. Which Microsoft Purview solution should they implement?
⚠ Common exam trap
SC-900 often tests the distinction between Purview solutions, baiting candidates with Information Protection (labels/encryption) when the scenario requires automatic detection and enforcement, which is DLP.
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
✓
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is the solution designed to automatically detect sensitive information such as credit card numbers using sensitive information types and then protect it via policies that block or restrict sharing. DLP policies can be applied to SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Exchange, making it the correct choice for automatically detecting and protecting credit card data in SharePoint.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Microsoft Purview Audit
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Audit provides detailed logs of user and administrator activities across Microsoft 365 services, offering crucial insights for security investigations and compliance reporting. However, its primary function is to record *who did what, when, and where*, rather than actively scanning content for specific sensitive data patterns like credit card numbers. It does not inherently detect or enforce protective actions based on the content itself, making it unsuitable for direct sensitive data protection.
- ✓
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention
Why this is correct
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is precisely engineered to identify, monitor, and protect sensitive information across an organization's digital estate, including cloud services, endpoints, and applications. DLP policies leverage a vast library of built-in sensitive information types, such as those for credit card numbers, to accurately detect specific data patterns. Upon detection, DLP can automatically apply predefined protective actions like blocking sharing, encrypting content, or notifying compliance officers, effectively preventing unauthorized data exfiltration.
- ✗
Microsoft Purview Information Protection
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Information Protection (MIP) focuses on classifying and protecting data through the application of sensitivity labels, which can enforce encryption, visual markings, and access controls. While MIP is vital for persistent data protection, its core capability is applying labels and their associated protections, not the initial deep content scanning for specific sensitive data patterns. Automatic labeling based on content, such as identifying credit card numbers, typically relies on integration with Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies to perform that specific pattern recognition.
- ✗
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) is designed to govern the retention and deletion of data throughout its lifecycle, ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, and organizational requirements. Its functions revolve around managing how long data is kept and when it is disposed of, rather than actively scanning content for specific sensitive information patterns. DLM does not perform real-time content inspection for credit card numbers or enforce protective actions against their unauthorized sharing, making it unsuitable for this specific detection and prevention task.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Session and Access Policies in Defender for Cloud Apps
Key term
Data Loss Prevention
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a set of tools and processes that help organizations stop sensitive information from being shared, leaked, or stolen, whether accidentally or on purpose.
Key term
General Data Protection Regulation
A European Union law that gives individuals control over their personal data and sets strict rules for how organizations collect, store, and process that data.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
This SC-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SC-900 exam.