Question 304 of 1,411

Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct answer is the Shared Responsibility Model because it explicitly defines the division of security responsibilities between the cloud provider and the customer in any cloud environment. In Azure, Microsoft is responsible for the security of the cloud—meaning physical hosts, networks, and datacenters—while the customer is responsible for security in the cloud, which includes data, identities, access management, and configurations. On the SC-900 exam, this concept tests your understanding of compliance and ownership boundaries, often appearing in scenario-based questions where a CISO or security team needs to clarify who handles what. A common trap is assuming the provider secures everything, but the model makes clear that customer-managed resources like virtual machines and app settings remain the customer’s duty. To remember it, think: “Provider protects the building; you protect what’s inside the rooms.”

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 company is moving its on-premises infrastructure to Azure. The CISO wants to understand the division of security responsibilities between the cloud provider and the customer. Which of the following models defines this division?

Question 1easymultiple choice

Full question →

A
CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability)
Why wrong: This is a framework for security objectives, not a model that defines division of responsibilities between cloud provider and customer.
B
Shared Responsibility Model
This model clearly outlines which security controls are managed by Microsoft (e.g., physical security of datacenters) and which by the customer (e.g., user access and data classification).
C
Zero Trust Model
Why wrong: Zero Trust is a security architecture principle that assumes no implicit trust, but it does not define the cloud division of responsibilities.
D
Defense-in-Depth
Why wrong: Defense-in-depth is a strategy of layering multiple security controls; it does not specifically address who is responsible for each layer in a cloud environment.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Shared Responsibility Model

The Shared Responsibility Model defines the division of security responsibilities between the cloud provider (Microsoft) and the customer. Microsoft is responsible for the security of the cloud (physical hosts, network, datacenters), while the customer is responsible for security in the cloud (data, identities, access management, and configurations). This model is foundational for understanding compliance and security ownership in Azure.

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.

✗
CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability)
Why it's wrong here
This is a framework for security objectives, not a model that defines division of responsibilities between cloud provider and customer.
✓
Shared Responsibility Model
Why this is correct
This model clearly outlines which security controls are managed by Microsoft (e.g., physical security of datacenters) and which by the customer (e.g., user access and data classification).
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Zero Trust Model
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust is a security architecture principle that assumes no implicit trust, but it does not define the cloud division of responsibilities.
✗
Defense-in-Depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense-in-depth is a strategy of layering multiple security controls; it does not specifically address who is responsible for each layer in a cloud environment.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Microsoft often tests the distinction between security models (CIA triad, Zero Trust, Defense-in-Depth) and the Shared Responsibility Model, trapping candidates who confuse a security principle or architecture with the specific contractual division of security duties between cloud provider and customer.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the Shared Responsibility Model, the division varies by service type: for IaaS, the customer manages the OS, applications, and data while Microsoft manages the hypervisor and physical infrastructure; for PaaS, Microsoft manages the runtime and middleware; for SaaS, Microsoft manages nearly everything except data and access policies. This model is explicitly documented in the Microsoft Service Trust Portal and is critical for compliance frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and FedRAMP, where auditors verify that responsibilities are correctly assigned.

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.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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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: Shared Responsibility Model — The Shared Responsibility Model defines the division of security responsibilities between the cloud provider (Microsoft) and the customer. Microsoft is responsible for the security of the cloud (physical hosts, network, datacenters), while the customer is responsible for security in the cloud (data, identities, access management, and configurations). This model is foundational for understanding compliance and security ownership in Azure.

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.

About these practice questions

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on SC-900

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. A company is migrating its on-premises workloads to Azure. The CISO wants to understand the division of security responsibilities between Microsoft and the customer across cloud service models. For which cloud service model does the customer have the most security responsibility?

medium

A.Software as a Service (SaaS)
B.Platform as a Service (PaaS)
✓ C.Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
D.On-premises

Why C: In the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model, the customer is responsible for securing the operating system, applications, data, and network configurations, while Microsoft only secures the physical datacenter, host servers, and hypervisor. This gives the customer the most security responsibility compared to PaaS or SaaS, where Microsoft manages more of the stack.

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