SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions
Your organization is implementing Microsoft Purview to govern data across Microsoft 365 and Azure. Which TWO capabilities should you use to discover and classify sensitive data?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse eDiscovery or Audit with classification capabilities, but eDiscovery is for legal holds and search, and Audit is for activity logging—neither discovers or classifies sensitive data.
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
✓
Microsoft Purview Information Protection
Microsoft Purview Information Protection (A) enables you to discover, classify, and protect sensitive data by applying sensitivity labels and analyzing content via data loss prevention (DLP) policies. Microsoft Purview Data Map (B) provides automated scanning and classification of data assets across Azure and Microsoft 365, building a unified map of sensitive data locations. Together, they fulfill the discovery and classification requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Microsoft Purview Information Protection
Why this is correct
Microsoft Purview Information Protection (MPIP) is a core component for classifying and protecting sensitive data throughout its lifecycle. It enables organizations to define and apply sensitivity labels, which can automatically detect sensitive information types and then apply visual markings, encryption, or access restrictions. This capability directly addresses the need to classify data based on its sensitivity and apply appropriate protective measures.
- ✓
Microsoft Purview Data Map
Why this is correct
The Microsoft Purview Data Map automatically scans and catalogs data assets across an organization's hybrid estate, including on-premises, multi-cloud, and SaaS sources. It creates a unified metadata repository, enabling data discovery, lineage tracking, and automated classification of data based on built-in and custom classifiers. This foundational capability is essential for understanding where sensitive data resides and initiating its governance.
- ✗
Microsoft Purview eDiscovery
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Standard and Premium) is designed to identify, preserve, collect, review, and analyze electronically stored information (ESI) for legal or investigative purposes. It is a reactive tool used primarily in response to litigation or regulatory requests, allowing specific data to be placed on legal hold and searched. It does not proactively discover and classify all organizational data for general governance purposes.
- ✗
Microsoft Purview Audit
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Audit provides a unified logging solution for user and admin activities across Microsoft 365 services, enabling forensic investigations and compliance monitoring. While crucial for accountability, its primary function is to record actions performed on data, not to proactively discover, scan, or classify the content of the data itself. Therefore, it does not directly contribute to the initial classification phase of data governance.
- ✗
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) focuses on managing the retention and deletion of data to meet regulatory, legal, and business requirements. It allows organizations to define retention labels and policies that dictate how long data should be kept or when it should be disposed of. While critical for compliance, DLM operates on data that has typically already been discovered and classified, rather than performing the initial discovery and classification itself.
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Microsoft Entra ID
Key term
Organization
An Organization is a top-level container in Google Cloud that represents your company or entities and serves as the root node for all your cloud resources, policies, and access control.
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.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.