Question 173 of 1,411

Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity →hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped

SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity

This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

A security architect is designing a new security posture based on the Zero Trust model. The architect wants to ensure that every access request is fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access, and that access is granted only to the minimum necessary resources. Which three principles of Zero Trust align with these requirements? (Choose three.)

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.

A
Verify explicitly
Correct. This principle states that every access request must be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access.
B
Least privilege access
Correct. This principle ensures users are granted only the minimum necessary access to perform their tasks, aligning with the requirement to grant access only to necessary resources.
C
Assume breach
Correct. Assume breach means minimizing the blast radius and segmenting access to limit damage if a breach occurs, supporting continuous verification and encryption.
D
Network segmentation
Why wrong: Incorrect. While network segmentation is a technique used to support the 'Assume breach' principle, it is not one of the three core guiding principles of Zero Trust.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Verify explicitly

Option A is correct because the 'Verify explicitly' principle of Zero Trust requires that every access request must be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access. This means using strong authentication mechanisms (e.g., multifactor authentication) and continuous validation of identity and device health, not just relying on network location or implicit trust.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✓
Verify explicitly
Why this is correct
Correct. This principle states that every access request must be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Least privilege access
Why this is correct
Correct. This principle ensures users are granted only the minimum necessary access to perform their tasks, aligning with the requirement to grant access only to necessary resources.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Assume breach
Why this is correct
Correct. Assume breach means minimizing the blast radius and segmenting access to limit damage if a breach occurs, supporting continuous verification and encryption.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Network segmentation
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. While network segmentation is a technique used to support the 'Assume breach' principle, it is not one of the three core guiding principles of Zero Trust.
When this WOULD be correct
A question asks: 'Which security control helps contain a breach by dividing the network into isolated zones?' In that context, network segmentation would be the correct answer as it directly addresses containment.

Option-by-option analysis

Why each answer is right or wrong

Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SC-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.

✓Verify explicitlyCorrect answer▾

Why this is correct

Correct. This principle states that every access request must be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access.

✗Network segmentationWrong answer — click to see why▾

Why this is wrong here

Network segmentation is a security strategy to limit lateral movement, but it is not one of the three core principles of Zero Trust (verify explicitly, least privilege access, assume breach). The question specifically asks for principles that align with authentication, authorization, encryption, and minimal access.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

A question asks: 'Which security control helps contain a breach by dividing the network into isolated zones?' In that context, network segmentation would be the correct answer as it directly addresses containment.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may confuse network segmentation with the 'assume breach' principle, as both involve limiting damage. However, segmentation is a tactic, not a core principle of Zero Trust.

Analysis generated from the official SC-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates confuse 'Network segmentation' as a Zero Trust principle when it is actually a supporting control, not one of the three core pillars (Verify explicitly, Least privilege access, Assume breach) that Microsoft emphasizes in the SC-900 exam.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, 'Verify explicitly' enforces conditional access policies that evaluate signals such as user risk, device compliance, and location in real time via protocols like OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect. For example, Azure AD Conditional Access can block a request if the device is not compliant, even if the user credentials are valid, ensuring encryption (e.g., TLS 1.2+) is enforced end-to-end.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SC-900 question test?

Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity — This question tests Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Verify explicitly — Option A is correct because the 'Verify explicitly' principle of Zero Trust requires that every access request must be fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before granting access. This means using strong authentication mechanisms (e.g., multifactor authentication) and continuous validation of identity and device health, not just relying on network location or implicit trust.

What should I do if I get this SC-900 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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