SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
Which TWO of the following are identity-related security best practices recommended by Microsoft? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
SC-900 often tests the misconception that SSO alone is sufficient security — candidates pick 'SSO without MFA' because SSO sounds secure, ignoring that MFA is the critical second factor.
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
✓
Implement Conditional Access policies
Option B is correct because Microsoft recommends Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID to evaluate signals such as user, device, location, and risk, and then enforce appropriate access controls (for example, requiring MFA or compliant devices) before granting access to resources. Option E is correct because enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a core Microsoft identity best practice that adds a second verification factor beyond a password, dramatically reducing the risk of credential compromise and account takeover. Options A, C, and D are not best practices: sharing passwords for critical accounts violates the principle of individual accountability and non-repudiation, using SSO without MFA still leaves accounts protected only by a single factor, and disabling sign-in logs removes the audit and monitoring data needed to detect and investigate suspicious authentication activity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Share passwords with team members for critical accounts
Why it's wrong here
Sharing credentials removes individual accountability and defeats per-user conditional access, risk detection, and revocation. It is tempting for covering absences or shared mailboxes, yet Microsoft recommends named accounts with delegated access or shared mailbox permissions instead.
- ✓
Implement Conditional Access policies
Why this is correct
Conditional Access evaluates signals such as user, device and location to grant, block or challenge access at sign-in. This satisfies the question's requirement for a Microsoft-recommended identity security practise, enforcing least-privilege access through policy rather than static permissions.
- ✗
Use single sign-on (SSO) without MFA
Why it's wrong here
SSO alone leaves a single compromised password sufficient for access; Microsoft pairs SSO with MFA to block credential-based attacks. It is tempting because SSO reduces password sprawl, but MFA is the control that actually hardens the sign-in.
- ✗
Disable sign-in logs to reduce storage costs
Why it's wrong here
Sign-in logs underpin detection of risky sign-ins and conditional access failures, so disabling them removes the audit trail Microsoft recommends retaining. It is tempting as a cost-saving measure, but Microsoft advises exporting logs to a SIEM or storage rather than switching them off.
- ✓
Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Why this is correct
MFA significantly reduces identity compromise risk.
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Exact Data Match for Sensitive Info Types
Key term
Accountability
Accountability is the security principle that ensures actions and identity are linked so that a person or system can be held responsible for their activities.
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.