SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions
Which TWO are capabilities of Microsoft Entra ID Protection?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse Entra ID Protection with other Entra ID features like SSPR or PIM, but Entra ID Protection is specifically about risk detection and automated remediation, not password management or privileged access control.
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
✓
Risk-based conditional access policies
Microsoft Entra ID Protection uses risk-based conditional access policies to automatically respond to detected risks, such as blocking access or requiring multi-factor authentication, based on real-time risk levels. Option E is correct because Entra ID Protection continuously monitors for leaked credentials by analyzing known credential breaches and flagging accounts whose credentials have been exposed, enabling proactive remediation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Risk-based conditional access policies
Why this is correct
Microsoft Entra ID Protection continuously monitors user and sign-in behavior to detect various types of risks, such as impossible travel or anomalous IP addresses. It then feeds these real-time risk detections into Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policies. These policies can be configured to automatically enforce specific access controls, like blocking access, requiring multifactor authentication (MFA), or forcing a password change, based on the calculated user or sign-in risk level. This capability is central to adaptive access control.
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Device enrollment policies
Why it's wrong here
Device enrollment policies govern how devices can register and connect to an organization's resources, typically managed through Microsoft Intune. These policies define restrictions on device types, operating systems, and the number of devices a user can enroll. While Microsoft Entra ID is involved in device registration and identity, the specific management and enforcement of enrollment rules fall under the mobile device management (MDM) capabilities provided by Microsoft Intune, not Entra ID Protection.
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Self-service password reset
Why it's wrong here
Self-service password reset (SSPR) is a core feature of Microsoft Entra ID that enables users to reset their forgotten or locked passwords without administrator intervention. Users authenticate through pre-configured methods, such as a mobile app or email, to verify their identity and then set a new password. While SSPR enhances user productivity and reduces helpdesk calls, it is a distinct identity management capability within Entra ID and not a direct function or capability of Entra ID Protection, which focuses on risk detection.
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Privileged role activation
Why it's wrong here
Privileged role activation is a key component of Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM), designed to provide just-in-time (JIT) access to sensitive administrative roles. Instead of permanent assignments, users request temporary activation of a privileged role for a limited duration, often requiring approval or multifactor authentication. This minimizes the exposure time of highly privileged accounts, significantly reducing the attack surface, and is a distinct security control separate from Entra ID Protection's risk detection focus.
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Detection of leaked credentials
Why this is correct
Microsoft Entra ID Protection actively monitors various public and dark web sources for compromised credentials associated with an organization's users. When it detects that a user's username and password combination has been exposed in a data breach, it flags this as a "leaked credentials" risk detection. This allows administrators to take immediate action, such as forcing a password reset or blocking the affected account, to prevent unauthorized access and mitigate potential security breaches.
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Microsoft Entra ID
Key term
Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying that someone or something is who or what it claims to be before granting access to a system or resource.
Key term
Time-based One-time Password
A temporary, automatically generated code that changes every few seconds and is used as an extra layer of security when logging into an account.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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