- A
Integrity
Why wrong: Integrity focuses on preventing unauthorized modifications, not on restricting access to authorized parties.
- B
Availability
Why wrong: Availability ensures that systems and data are accessible when needed, not specifically that access is limited to authorized users.
- C
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is the principle of limiting access to data only to those who are authorized, which directly matches the requirement.
- D
Non-repudiation
Why wrong: Non-repudiation provides assurance that a user cannot deny an action, often through digital signatures, but does not govern access control.
Question 1,223 of 1,411
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. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 company's security policy requires that customer data must only be accessible by authorized sales representatives. Which security principle does this requirement directly enforce?
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
✓
Confidentiality
The principle of confidentiality ensures that information is accessible only to authorized individuals or systems. In this scenario, restricting access to customer data to only authorized sales representatives aligns with maintaining confidentiality. The other options are incorrect: Integrity ensures data is not improperly modified, Availability ensures systems are operational, and Non-repudiation ensures actions cannot be denied.
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.
- ✗
Integrity
Why it's wrong here
Integrity focuses on preventing unauthorized modifications, not on restricting access to authorized parties.
When this WOULD be correct
A question that asks: 'A company wants to ensure that customer data has not been altered during transmission. Which security principle does this enforce?' In that context, integrity would be correct because it focuses on protecting data from unauthorized modification.
- ✗
Availability
Why it's wrong here
Availability ensures that systems and data are accessible when needed, not specifically that access is limited to authorized users.
- ✓
Confidentiality
Why this is correct
Confidentiality is the principle of limiting access to data only to those who are authorized, which directly matches the requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation provides assurance that a user cannot deny an action, often through digital signatures, but does not govern access control.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the security policy requires that sales representatives cannot deny having accessed or modified customer data, such as 'The company needs to prove that a sales representative viewed a customer record; which principle is enforced?'
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.
✓ConfidentialityCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Confidentiality is the principle of limiting access to data only to those who are authorized, which directly matches the requirement.
✗IntegrityWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The requirement to restrict access to customer data to authorized sales representatives directly enforces confidentiality, not integrity. Integrity ensures data is not tampered with or modified by unauthorized parties, but the primary goal here is preventing unauthorized access.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question that asks: 'A company wants to ensure that customer data has not been altered during transmission. Which security principle does this enforce?' In that context, integrity would be correct because it focuses on protecting data from unauthorized modification.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse confidentiality with integrity because both involve protecting data. They might think that restricting access also ensures data remains unchanged, but integrity specifically addresses unauthorized modification, not access control.
✗Non-repudiationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Non-repudiation ensures that a party cannot deny having performed an action (e.g., signing a document), but the requirement to restrict access to customer data is about preventing unauthorized disclosure, which is confidentiality.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the security policy requires that sales representatives cannot deny having accessed or modified customer data, such as 'The company needs to prove that a sales representative viewed a customer record; which principle is enforced?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse non-repudiation with access control because both involve authorization and accountability, but non-repudiation specifically addresses denial of actions, not access restriction.
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
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Identify which SC-900 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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: Confidentiality — The principle of confidentiality ensures that information is accessible only to authorized individuals or systems. In this scenario, restricting access to customer data to only authorized sales representatives aligns with maintaining confidentiality. The other options are incorrect: Integrity ensures data is not improperly modified, Availability ensures systems are operational, and Non-repudiation ensures actions cannot be denied.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 question wrong?
Identify which SC-900 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: May 17, 2026
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.
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