SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions
Which TWO of the following are Microsoft Purview solutions that help protect sensitive data?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse 'detecting risky behavior' (Insider Risk Management) or 'monitoring communications' (Communication Compliance) with 'protecting sensitive data', when only DLP and Sensitivity labels directly enforce classification and protection controls on the data itself.
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
✓
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a Microsoft Purview solution that helps protect sensitive data by identifying, monitoring, and automatically enforcing policies to prevent accidental or unauthorized sharing of sensitive information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, or health records across services like Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. Sensitivity labels are another Purview solution that protect sensitive data by allowing administrators to classify and apply protection (encryption, visual markings) to documents and emails, and enforce controls like 'Do Not Forward' or 'Encrypt-Only' based on the label's configuration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Communication Compliance
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Communication Compliance is designed to help organizations detect, investigate, and act on inappropriate messages in their internal and external communications, often related to regulatory compliance or conduct policies. While it monitors content for policy violations and behavioral risks, it does not directly apply protective measures like encryption, access controls, or data loss prevention to safeguard the data itself from unauthorized sharing or exfiltration. Its focus is on monitoring and remediation of communication content, not direct data protection.
- ✗
eDiscovery
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview eDiscovery solutions are primarily used to identify, preserve, collect, process, review, and analyze electronically stored information (ESI) for legal or investigative matters. Although it deals with sensitive data, its purpose is to facilitate the legal discovery process by making data available and manageable for litigation or investigations. It does not proactively apply protective controls such as encryption, access restrictions, or data loss prevention policies to prevent unauthorized access or sharing of data.
- ✓
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Why this is correct
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a critical solution for protecting sensitive information by identifying, monitoring, and automatically preventing its unauthorized sharing or transfer both within and outside the organization. DLP policies detect sensitive data types (e.g., PII, financial data) across various Microsoft 365 services and endpoints, enforcing actions like blocking sharing, notifying users, or encrypting content to ensure compliance and prevent data exfiltration. This directly addresses data protection by controlling data flow.
- ✓
Sensitivity labels
Why this is correct
Microsoft Purview Sensitivity labels are a fundamental data protection solution that enables organizations to classify and protect their sensitive data across documents, emails, and containers. These labels apply persistent protection, including encryption, visual markings (headers, footers, watermarks), and access restrictions, ensuring that protection travels with the data regardless of where it is stored or with whom it is shared. They are a cornerstone of information protection, embedding security directly into the data.
- ✗
Insider Risk Management
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is designed to detect, investigate, and act on potentially malicious or inadvertent activities by internal users that could lead to data leakage or theft. It leverages signals from Microsoft 365 and other services to identify risky user behaviors and patterns. While it helps mitigate insider threats by providing investigative tools and actionable insights, its primary function is risk detection and management, not the direct application of protective controls like encryption or access policies to the data itself.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Core Security Concepts
Key term
Encryption
Encryption is the process of converting readable data into a secret code to prevent unauthorized access.
Key term
DLP
Data Loss Prevention — security technology that detects and prevents unauthorised transmission of sensitive data outside an organisation.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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