SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions
Which TWO Microsoft Purview solutions can be used to manage data retention and deletion?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse sensitivity labels (which control access and protection) with retention labels (which control lifecycle), or mistakenly think eDiscovery or DLP can set retention/deletion rules.
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
✓
Retention policies
Retention policies (A) are used to assign retention and deletion settings at the container level (e.g., entire SharePoint site, Exchange mailbox, or OneDrive account), automatically applying to all content within that scope. Retention labels (D) are used to assign retention and deletion settings at the item level (e.g., a specific document or email), allowing granular control and manual or auto-classification. Both are core Microsoft Purview solutions for managing data lifecycle, including retention and deletion.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Retention policies
Why this is correct
Microsoft Purview retention policies are designed to apply retention and deletion rules broadly across entire locations, such as Exchange mailboxes, SharePoint sites, and Microsoft Teams. They ensure that content is retained for a specified period or deleted after a certain time, based on organizational or regulatory requirements, managing data at a container level.
- ✗
eDiscovery
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview eDiscovery solutions are primarily used for identifying, preserving, collecting, processing, reviewing, and analyzing electronically stored information (ESI) for legal or investigative purposes. Their function is to facilitate legal holds and content export, not to define or enforce the long-term retention or deletion schedules of data within the organization.
- ✗
Sensitivity labels
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels are used to classify and protect data by applying visual markings, encryption, and access restrictions to sensitive content. While they can be configured to automatically apply retention labels, their core purpose is data classification and protection, not the direct management of retention or deletion periods for content.
- ✓
Retention labels
Why this is correct
Microsoft Purview retention labels enable the application of retention and deletion rules to individual items, such as specific documents, emails, or files. These labels can be applied manually by users or automatically based on conditions, allowing for granular control over content lifecycle, including event-based retention and disposition review processes.
- ✗
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions are engineered to identify, monitor, and automatically protect sensitive information from being inappropriately shared, transferred, or used. DLP policies focus on preventing data exfiltration and ensuring compliance with data handling regulations, rather than defining the long-term retention or deletion schedules for data.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Core Security Concepts
Key term
Microsoft Purview
Microsoft Purview is a unified data governance and compliance service that helps organizations discover, manage, and protect their data across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
Key term
Scope
In IT, scope defines the boundaries, goals, and deliverables of a project, assessment, or engagement, specifying what is included and what is excluded.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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