- A
Authentication
Why wrong: Authentication verifies identity but does not control access to specific resources based on permissions.
- B
Authorization
Authorization determines what a user can access based on permissions and group membership, which is exactly why the user was denied access.
- C
Accounting
Why wrong: Accounting involves tracking and logging user activities for auditing, not managing resource access permissions.
- D
Non-repudiation
Why wrong: Non-repudiation ensures that a user cannot deny having performed an action (e.g., via digital signatures), which is not related to access control.
Question 94 of 1,411
Authorization: Determining Resource Access Rights
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 the company's network using their username and password. After successful login, the user attempts to open a financial report but receives an access denied message because they are not a member of the 'Finance' security group. Which security concept is best illustrated by the access denial?
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
✓
Authorization
The access denial occurs because the user lacks the necessary permissions to open the financial report, even though their identity was verified. This is the core function of authorization, which determines what resources an authenticated user can access. In this scenario, the user is authenticated but not authorized to access the report due to missing group membership.
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 it's wrong here
Authentication verifies identity but does not control access to specific resources based on permissions.
When this WOULD be correct
A question that asks: 'A user enters their username and password to log into a system. Which security concept is being applied?' would make authentication the correct answer.
- ✓
Authorization
Why this is correct
Authorization determines what a user can access based on permissions and group membership, which is exactly why the user was denied access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Accounting
Why it's wrong here
Accounting involves tracking and logging user activities for auditing, not managing resource access permissions.
When this WOULD be correct
A scenario where a user performs an action (e.g., modifies a file) and the system logs the user's identity and action to ensure accountability. The question would ask which concept ensures actions can be traced back to a specific user.
- ✗
Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation ensures that a user cannot deny having performed an action (e.g., via digital signatures), which is not related to access control.
When this WOULD be correct
A user submits a purchase order using their digital certificate, but later claims they never submitted it. The system provides a signed audit trail proving the submission. This illustrates non-repudiation.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SC-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓AuthorizationCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Authorization determines what a user can access based on permissions and group membership, which is exactly why the user was denied access.
✗AuthenticationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Authentication verifies identity (who you are), but the access denial occurred after successful login, meaning identity was already confirmed. The denial is due to insufficient permissions, which is authorization.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question that asks: 'A user enters their username and password to log into a system. Which security concept is being applied?' would make authentication the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates often confuse authentication and authorization because both involve access control and occur sequentially during login, leading them to mistakenly associate the access denial with the authentication step.
✗AccountingWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Accounting tracks user actions for auditing, not access control. The access denial is due to lack of permissions, which is authorization.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A scenario where a user performs an action (e.g., modifies a file) and the system logs the user's identity and action to ensure accountability. The question would ask which concept ensures actions can be traced back to a specific user.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse accounting (auditing) with authorization because both involve permissions and access logs, but accounting focuses on recording events, not enforcing access.
✗Non-repudiationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Non-repudiation ensures that a user cannot deny having performed an action, typically through digital signatures or audit logs. The access denial here is about permissions, not about proving or denying actions.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A user submits a purchase order using their digital certificate, but later claims they never submitted it. The system provides a signed audit trail proving the submission. This illustrates non-repudiation.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse authorization (permissions) with non-repudiation because both involve security controls, but non-repudiation focuses on accountability and proof of actions, not access rights.
Analysis generated from the official SC-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing authentication (verifying identity) with authorization (granting permissions), leading candidates to select 'Authentication' because they focus on the successful login rather than the subsequent access denial.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Authorization in Microsoft environments is typically enforced via Access Control Lists (ACLs) on resources, such as NTFS permissions or SharePoint item-level permissions. The user's access token, generated after authentication, contains Security Identifiers (SIDs) for all groups the user belongs to; the resource manager compares these SIDs against the ACL to grant or deny access. In Azure AD, authorization can also involve role-based access control (RBAC) or conditional access policies that evaluate attributes beyond group membership.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-900 question test?
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: Authorization — The access denial occurs because the user lacks the necessary permissions to open the financial report, even though their identity was verified. This is the core function of authorization, which determines what resources an authenticated user can access. In this scenario, the user is authenticated but not authorized to access the report due to missing group membership.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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