- A
Defense in depth
Why wrong: Defense in depth is a strategy that uses multiple layers of security controls to protect assets, not specifically about limiting permissions to the minimum necessary.
- B
Least privilege
Least privilege is the practice of granting only the minimum necessary permissions required for a user or system to perform a function, directly matching the administrator's action.
- C
Separation of duties
Why wrong: Separation of duties divides critical tasks among different individuals to prevent fraud or error, not about limiting the scope of permissions for a single user.
- D
Zero Trust
Why wrong: Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no implicit trust and verifies every access request; while it includes least privilege as a principle, it is a broader framework and not solely about minimal permissions.
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. 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 security administrator configures user accounts so that employees have only the permissions necessary to perform their job functions and no more. Which security concept is being applied?
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
Least privilege
The principle of least privilege dictates that users should be granted only the permissions necessary to perform their specific job functions and no more. By configuring accounts with minimal access rights, the administrator directly applies this concept to reduce the attack surface and limit potential damage from compromised credentials.
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 it's wrong here
Defense in depth is a strategy that uses multiple layers of security controls to protect assets, not specifically about limiting permissions to the minimum necessary.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing a company implementing multiple security layers (e.g., firewall, antivirus, access controls, encryption) to protect against threats would make defense in depth the correct answer.
- ✓
Least privilege
Why this is correct
Least privilege is the practice of granting only the minimum necessary permissions required for a user or system to perform a function, directly matching the administrator's action.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties divides critical tasks among different individuals to prevent fraud or error, not about limiting the scope of permissions for a single user.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing a policy where no single person has complete control over a financial transaction, requiring two different employees to authorize and execute payments, would make separation of duties the correct answer.
- ✗
Zero Trust
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no implicit trust and verifies every access request; while it includes least privilege as a principle, it is a broader framework and not solely about minimal permissions.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing a network architecture where all resources are segmented, access is continuously verified, and no device or user is trusted by default, even if inside the corporate perimeter.
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.
✓Least privilegeCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Least privilege is the practice of granting only the minimum necessary permissions required for a user or system to perform a function, directly matching the administrator's action.
✗Defense in depthWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Defense in depth is a layered security strategy using multiple controls, not specifically about limiting permissions to only what is necessary for a job role.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing a company implementing multiple security layers (e.g., firewall, antivirus, access controls, encryption) to protect against threats would make defense in depth the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the concept of limiting permissions with a broader security strategy, thinking that least privilege is just one layer of defense in depth.
✗Separation of dutiesWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Separation of duties involves dividing critical tasks among multiple users to prevent fraud or error, not limiting individual permissions to only what is necessary.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing a policy where no single person has complete control over a financial transaction, requiring two different employees to authorize and execute payments, would make separation of duties the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'least privilege' with 'separation of duties' because both concepts involve restricting access, but they address different security principles.
✗Zero TrustWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no implicit trust and requires continuous verification, not specifically about limiting permissions to job functions.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing a network architecture where all resources are segmented, access is continuously verified, and no device or user is trusted by default, even if inside the corporate perimeter.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the principle of least privilege with Zero Trust because both involve restricting access, but Zero Trust is broader and includes continuous verification, not just minimal permissions.
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 'least privilege' with 'separation of duties' because both involve limiting access, but separation of duties focuses on splitting tasks across multiple people to prevent collusion, not on minimizing individual permissions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, least privilege is enforced via access control lists (ACLs), role-based access control (RBAC) roles, and attribute-based access control (ABAC) policies in systems like Azure RBAC or Windows Active Directory. For example, in Azure, assigning a user the 'Reader' role instead of 'Contributor' ensures they can view resources but not modify them, directly implementing least privilege. A real-world scenario is a database administrator who only needs SELECT permissions on a specific table, not db_owner, to minimize the blast radius of a SQL injection attack.
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
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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: Least privilege — The principle of least privilege dictates that users should be granted only the permissions necessary to perform their specific job functions and no more. By configuring accounts with minimal access rights, the administrator directly applies this concept to reduce the attack surface and limit potential damage from compromised credentials.
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
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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