SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions
A company needs to automatically detect and protect sensitive information such as credit card numbers in emails sent from Exchange Online and documents stored in SharePoint Online. They want to create policies that can block emails if such data is detected, and also automatically encrypt documents with specific labels. Which Microsoft Purview solution should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse Information Protection (labeling/encryption) with DLP (detection and enforcement), but DLP is the engine that triggers the protective actions, while Information Protection provides the labels and encryption mechanisms that DLP can apply.
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 correct solution because it is specifically designed to automatically detect sensitive information (e.g., credit card numbers) in Exchange Online emails and SharePoint Online documents, and then enforce protective actions such as blocking email transmission or applying encryption labels. DLP policies use sensitive information types and policy tips to identify and remediate data exposure risks across these workloads.
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 Information Protection
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Information Protection (MIP) focuses on classifying and labeling data, which is a foundational step for applying protection. While it enables encryption and access restrictions based on these labels, it does not inherently perform the automatic detection of sensitive content or enforce real-time protective actions like blocking emails or encrypting files based on their content alone. MIP provides the 'what' (the label and its associated protection), but relies on other services, like DLP, for the 'how' (automatic detection and enforcement).
- ✓
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention
Why this is correct
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is specifically designed to automatically detect sensitive information types, such as credit card numbers or national IDs, across various Microsoft 365 services and endpoints. It then enforces policy-driven actions, including blocking email transmission, encrypting files, or notifying administrators, to prevent unauthorized sharing or leakage. This proactive capability directly addresses the requirement to automatically detect and protect sensitive information in real-time by preventing its inappropriate use or transfer.
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Microsoft Purview Audit
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Audit provides a comprehensive record of user and admin activities within Microsoft 365 services, crucial for forensic investigations and compliance reporting. While it logs events related to data access and modification, it is a reactive tool that observes and records actions rather than proactively detecting sensitive information or taking real-time protective measures like blocking or encrypting data. Its primary function is accountability and post-incident analysis, not real-time prevention.
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Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager assists organizations in managing their compliance posture by providing actionable insights, recommended actions, and a compliance score against various regulations and industry standards. It is a management tool for assessing, tracking, and improving an organization's compliance efforts, offering guidance on implementing controls. However, it does not directly detect sensitive data or implement real-time protective actions like blocking or encrypting information; it helps manage the process of achieving compliance.
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Microsoft Entra ID
Key term
DLP
Data Loss Prevention — security technology that detects and prevents unauthorised transmission of sensitive data outside an organisation.
Key term
Encryption
Encryption is the process of converting readable data into a secret code to prevent unauthorized access.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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