- A
Defense in depth
Defense in depth uses multiple overlapping layers of security controls to provide redundancy.
- B
Least privilege
Why wrong: Least privilege restricts user permissions to the minimum required, not layering of controls.
- C
Zero Trust
Why wrong: Zero Trust is an architectural model that never trusts any request without verification, not specifically about multiple layers.
- D
Separation of duties
Why wrong: Separation of duties prevents a single person from having conflicting responsibilities, not about multiple security layers.
Question 29 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 security manager explains that the company's security strategy relies on multiple layers of controls, such as firewalls, antivirus software, and multi-factor authentication, so that if one layer fails, another can still prevent an attack. Which security principle does this strategy best represent?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
✓
Defense in depth
Defense in depth is the correct answer because it explicitly describes a layered security strategy where multiple independent controls (firewalls, antivirus, MFA) are deployed so that if one layer is bypassed or fails, subsequent layers still provide protection. This principle is foundational to modern security architecture and directly matches the scenario of using diverse controls to prevent a single point of failure.
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.
- ✓
Defense in depth
Why this is correct
Defense in depth uses multiple overlapping layers of security controls to provide redundancy.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege restricts user permissions to the minimum required, not layering of controls.
When this WOULD be correct
A question asks: 'A company wants to ensure employees only have access to the data required for their job roles. Which security principle should be applied?' In that context, least privilege would be correct.
- ✗
Zero Trust
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust is an architectural model that never trusts any request without verification, not specifically about multiple layers.
When this WOULD be correct
An exam scenario where a company implements strict access policies, verifies every request regardless of origin, and assumes breach—such as requiring authentication for all internal network traffic and using micro-segmentation—would make Zero Trust the correct answer.
- ✗
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties prevents a single person from having conflicting responsibilities, not about multiple security layers.
When this WOULD be correct
A question that asks: 'A company requires that no single employee can approve a payment and also process the refund; these tasks must be performed by two different people. Which security principle does this represent?' In that scenario, separation of duties would be correct.
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.
✓Defense in depthCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Defense in depth uses multiple overlapping layers of security controls to provide redundancy.
✗Least privilegeWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The question describes multiple layers of controls (firewalls, antivirus, MFA) that work together to prevent attacks if one fails. Least privilege is about granting only necessary access rights, not layering defenses.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question asks: 'A company wants to ensure employees only have access to the data required for their job roles. Which security principle should be applied?' In that context, least privilege would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'least privilege' with a general security best practice, but it specifically addresses access rights, not layered defenses.
✗Zero TrustWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The question describes multiple layers of controls (firewalls, antivirus, MFA) to prevent attack if one fails, which is the definition of defense in depth. Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no implicit trust and requires continuous verification, not specifically about layered controls.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
An exam scenario where a company implements strict access policies, verifies every request regardless of origin, and assumes breach—such as requiring authentication for all internal network traffic and using micro-segmentation—would make Zero Trust the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse Zero Trust with defense in depth because both involve multiple security measures, but Zero Trust focuses on 'never trust, always verify' rather than layered redundancy.
✗Separation of dutiesWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The question describes multiple layers of security controls (firewalls, antivirus, MFA) working together, which is the definition of defense in depth. Separation of duties is about dividing tasks among different people to prevent fraud or error, not about layered defenses.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question that asks: 'A company requires that no single employee can approve a payment and also process the refund; these tasks must be performed by two different people. Which security principle does this represent?' In that scenario, separation of duties would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'separation of duties' with 'layered controls' because both involve multiple components, but separation of duties is about dividing responsibilities among people, not about technical defense layers.
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 that candidates often confuse Zero Trust with defense in depth because both involve multiple controls, but Zero Trust is specifically about verifying every access request regardless of origin, whereas defense in depth is about layering independent controls to provide redundancy and depth.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Defense in depth leverages a combination of preventive, detective, and corrective controls at different layers of the OSI model—for example, network firewalls (Layer 3/4), host-based intrusion detection (Layer 7), and application-level MFA. In practice, this means an attacker who compromises a perimeter firewall still faces endpoint protection (e.g., Windows Defender) and authentication challenges (e.g., Azure AD MFA with conditional access policies). A real-world scenario is a ransomware attack that evades email filtering but is stopped by endpoint detection and response (EDR) because the file is quarantined before execution.
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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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: Defense in depth — Defense in depth is the correct answer because it explicitly describes a layered security strategy where multiple independent controls (firewalls, antivirus, MFA) are deployed so that if one layer is bypassed or fails, subsequent layers still provide protection. This principle is foundational to modern security architecture and directly matches the scenario of using diverse controls to prevent a single point of failure.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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