SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
Which TWO of the following are purposes of the 'Zero Trust' security model?
⚠ Common exam trap
SC-900 often tests whether candidates confuse Zero Trust with traditional perimeter security — the trap is picking options that describe implicit trust or single-perimeter defense because they sound like standard 'secure' practices.
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
✓
Explicitly verify every access request
Option A is correct because Zero Trust requires that every access request be explicitly verified based on identity, device health, and context before granting access, rather than trusting anything based on network location. Option B is correct because the Zero Trust model operates on the assumption that the network is hostile and open, so no implicit trust is granted to traffic regardless of its origin. Option C is incorrect because relying on a single perimeter firewall reflects the traditional castle-and-moat model, which Zero Trust explicitly moves away from. Option D is incorrect because implicitly trusting internal traffic is the opposite of Zero Trust's core principle of never trusting by default. Option E is incorrect because assuming the network is always safe contradicts Zero Trust's foundational assumption that networks should be treated as compromised.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Explicitly verify every access request
Why this is correct
This is a core principle of Zero Trust, mandating that no access is granted based on implicit trust derived from network location or previous authentication. Every single request for a resource must be rigorously authenticated and authorized. This process involves evaluating multiple data points, including user identity, device health, location, and the sensitivity of the resource being accessed, to ensure least privilege access is consistently applied.
- ✓
Assume that everything is on an open network
Why this is correct
This principle, often encapsulated by "assume breach," dictates that the network perimeter is no longer a sufficient security boundary. Instead, all network traffic, irrespective of its origin—whether internal or external—is treated as potentially malicious and untrusted. This necessitates that every connection and access attempt must be inspected, authenticated, and authorized before access to any resource is granted, effectively eliminating the concept of a "trusted" internal network zone.
- ✗
Rely on a single perimeter firewall
Why it's wrong here
Traditional security models heavily depend on a strong, singular network perimeter, often secured by a single firewall, to protect internal assets. However, Zero Trust architecture fundamentally rejects this reliance, recognizing that attackers can bypass or breach such a perimeter. It advocates for a distributed security model utilizing micro-segmentation and numerous enforcement points, rendering a single perimeter firewall insufficient and largely obsolete as the primary defense mechanism.
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Trust internal traffic implicitly
Why it's wrong here
A foundational tenet of Zero Trust is "never trust, always verify," which directly contradicts the notion of implicitly trusting internal network traffic. Legacy security models often mistakenly assume that traffic originating from inside the corporate network is inherently safe. Zero Trust, however, mandates that all internal traffic, just like external traffic, must be authenticated, authorized, and continuously monitored, thereby preventing lateral movement by an attacker who has gained initial access within the network.
- ✗
Assume that the network is always safe
Why it's wrong here
Zero Trust operates under the explicit and critical assumption that the network environment is never inherently safe and that a breach is either inevitable or has already occurred. This "assume breach" mentality drives the imperative for continuous verification and the application of least privilege access for every single request, rather than relying on the false premise of a secure network infrastructure. It mandates proactive, adaptive security measures, not reactive ones based on a perceived safe state.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
Key term
Identity
Identity is the unique set of attributes that defines a user, device, or service in a computer system, determining what they can access and do.
Key term
Zero Trust
Zero Trust is a security framework that assumes no user, device, or network is automatically trusted, requiring verification for every access request regardless of its origin.
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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.