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. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An organization is redesigning its security architecture based on the Zero Trust model. Which principle requires that every access request must be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access, regardless of the network location?
Why wrong: This principle assumes attackers are already present and focuses on limiting lateral movement and damage, not on authenticating every request.
B
Least privilege
Why wrong: Least privilege means granting users only the permissions needed to perform their tasks; it does not involve the authentication/authorization of each access request.
C
Verify explicitly
This principle states that every access request should be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted, regardless of the network location or device.
D
Trust but verify
Why wrong: Zero Trust rejects implicit trust; 'verify explicitly' is the correct term used in the official Zero Trust model.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Verify explicitly
The Zero Trust model is built on three core principles: verify explicitly, least privilege, and assume breach. The principle that mandates every access request—regardless of whether it originates from inside or outside the corporate network—must be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access is 'verify explicitly'. This means using strong authentication methods (e.g., multifactor authentication), continuous validation of authorization (e.g., Conditional Access policies), and enforcing encryption (e.g., TLS 1.3) for every request, not just those from untrusted locations.
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.
✗
Assume breach
Why it's wrong here
This principle assumes attackers are already present and focuses on limiting lateral movement and damage, not on authenticating every request.
✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege means granting users only the permissions needed to perform their tasks; it does not involve the authentication/authorization of each access request.
✓
Verify explicitly
Why this is correct
This principle states that every access request should be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted, regardless of the network location or device.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Trust but verify
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust rejects implicit trust; 'verify explicitly' is the correct term used in the official Zero Trust model.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Microsoft often tests the distinction between 'verify explicitly' and 'trust but verify', where candidates mistakenly choose 'trust but verify' because it sounds like a security principle, but the Zero Trust model explicitly rejects any form of implicit trust, requiring verification for every request regardless of network location.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, 'verify explicitly' is enforced through technologies like Azure AD Conditional Access, which evaluates signals such as user risk, device compliance, and location in real time before issuing a token. This principle also requires that all traffic be encrypted using protocols like TLS 1.2 or 1.3, and that authentication be performed using modern protocols such as OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect, which support step-up authentication and continuous access evaluation (CAE). In a real-world scenario, a user accessing a cloud app from a corporate laptop must still pass MFA and device compliance checks even if they are on the internal network, because the network location is no longer considered a trusted boundary.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-900 question in full detail.
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: Verify explicitly — The Zero Trust model is built on three core principles: verify explicitly, least privilege, and assume breach. The principle that mandates every access request—regardless of whether it originates from inside or outside the corporate network—must be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access is 'verify explicitly'. This means using strong authentication methods (e.g., multifactor authentication), continuous validation of authorization (e.g., Conditional Access policies), and enforcing encryption (e.g., TLS 1.3) for every request, not just those from untrusted locations.
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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