SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
A security administrator is explaining authentication and authorization to new IT staff. Which statement correctly describes the difference between these two processes?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse the sequence and purpose of authentication versus authorization, leading candidates to reverse the definitions or assume authorization can occur without prior authentication.
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
✓
Authentication verifies who the user is; authorization verifies what the user can do.
Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user, device, or other entity, typically through credentials like a password, biometric, or certificate. Authorization determines what an authenticated entity is permitted to do, such as accessing specific resources or performing certain actions, often enforced via access control lists (ACLs) or role-based access control (RBAC). In Microsoft Entra ID, authentication occurs first (e.g., via OAuth 2.0 or SAML), and then authorization is evaluated using claims or directory roles.
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 verifies what a user can do; authorization verifies who the user is.
Why it's wrong here
The definitions are inverted: authentication establishes who the user is, while authorization determines what that identity may do. It is tempting because both processes concern identity and access, but conflating them reverses the actual sequence and purpose of each control.
- ✓
Authentication verifies who the user is; authorization verifies what the user can do.
Why this is correct
Authentication establishes identity by validating credentials such as passwords or tokens, confirming who the principal is. Authorization then evaluates permissions and policy to determine which resources and actions that authenticated identity may access, which is precisely the distinction the stem asks for.
- ✗
Both authentication and authorization verify the user's identity.
Why it's wrong here
Only authentication verifies identity; authorization evaluates permissions against an already-authenticated principal. It is tempting because both processes rely on identity data, but authorization consumes the authenticated identity rather than verifying it, making the claim inaccurate.
- ✗
Authorization is always performed before authentication.
Why it's wrong here
Authorization evaluates permissions only after a principal has been authenticated, so it cannot precede authentication. The statement is tempting because the two processes are sequential and easily reversed, but authentication must establish identity first; authorization then determines which resources that identity may access.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Entra Internet Access and Private Access
Key term
Identity
Identity is the unique set of attributes that defines a user, device, or service in a computer system, determining what they can access and do.
Key term
Access control
Access control is the security practice of determining who or what is allowed to view, use, or enter a resource, and under what conditions.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.