Microsoft SC-900 Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals Exam Dumps and Practice Test Questions Set 14 Q196-210

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Question 196

In a large enterprise running Cisco DNA Center Assurance, which feature provides automatic detection of client onboarding failures and correlates them with RF, DHCP, AAA, and switchport issues to identify the root cause? 

NetFlow Telemetry
B. Client 360
C. Application Experience
D. WLC FlexConnect Mode

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

A provides flow-level traffic visibility that includes source, destination, ports, and basic behavioral patterns. While it is extremely useful for identifying network anomalies, traffic spikes, and application usage, it does not provide detailed insight into the client onboarding stages or correlate RF, DHCP, authentication, or switchport-related failures. It is a general telemetry tool, but not a client-root-cause analysis platform.

B provides end-to-end visibility for individual wireless or wired clients in DNA Center Assurance. This includes onboarding stages such as association, authentication, DHCP, IP assignment, and connectivity validation. It highlights failures at each stage and integrates telemetry from access points, controllers, AAA servers, switches, and RRM data. It correlates issues automatically, helping administrators understand whether the root cause lies in RF conditions, DHCP unavailability, AAA misconfigurations, port errors, or device-level anomalies. This mapping capability and automated insight are unique to this feature, making it the direct match for the described functionality.

C focuses on monitoring the performance of applications and identifying latency or throughput issues. While valuable for application troubleshooting, it does not address onboarding stages or correlate factors such as RF or AAA failures.

D focuses on AP behavior in branch environments where APs locally switch traffic instead of tunneling it to a controller. This mode has nothing to do with client onboarding analytics or multi-domain correlation for troubleshooting.

Therefore, B is correct because it uniquely provides client-level correlation and automated detection of onboarding issues across multiple infrastructure components.

Question 197

Which routing protocol feature enables fast convergence by maintaining a backup loop-free alternative (LFA) path that can be immediately used when a primary link fails? 

OSPF Virtual Links
B. EIGRP Classic Metrics
C. IP Fast Reroute
D. OSPF NSSA Areas

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

A provides a logical connection within OSPF to link otherwise disconnected areas, allowing area 0 continuity. While useful for topology challenges, it does not create backup paths or provide failover protection against link outages.

B refers to the original metric system within the protocol, involving bandwidth, delay, load, and reliability. Although EIGRP can be very fast in convergence, the classic metrics themselves do not inherently provide instantaneous failover, nor do they create backup loop-free alternatives explicitly. The metric system alone is not a fast-failover mechanism.

C provides a mechanism for identifying alternate loop-free paths that can be used immediately when the primary path fails, without waiting for full routing reconvergence. The concept includes Loop-Free Alternates, remote LFAs, and other fast reroute techniques that ensure minimal interruption. This capability is widely used in both MPLS and IP routing contexts. It aligns precisely with the idea of backup paths available instantly upon failure.

D defines a special area type in OSPF that allows external routes to be imported while maintaining some OSPF stub features. It does not provide failover or fast rerouting capabilities.

Thu,s C is the correct mechanism that addresses instant backup path utilization.

Question 198

In a Cisco wireless network, which feature provides dynamic per-user bandwidth enforcement and QoS policies based on identity attributes learned during authentication? 

WMM
B. AVC
C. AAA Override
D. 802.11r

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

A focuses on Wi-Fi QoS categories, mapping traffic to voice, video, best effort, and background access categories. It does not enforce identity-based shaping or dynamic bandwidth limits per user. It only provides prioritization mechanisms.

B provides visibility into application traffic, including classification of flows such as social media, video, or business applications. It can help analyze or prioritize traffic, but does not enforce per-user bandwidth controls driven by identity attributes.

C enables controllers to apply dynamic policy elements—including VLAN assignment, ACLs, QoS profiles, and bandwidth control—based on information received from AAA servers during user authentication. Because the policies derive from identity attributes, each user may receive a different treatment level depending on group membership, user type, or authentication result. This matches the functionality described: dynamic, per-user policy enforcement tied to identity.

D accelerates roaming by enabling fast transition mechanisms. While critical for mobility-sensitive applications, it does not enforce dynamic QoS or bandwidth limits.

Thus, C is correct.

Question 199

Which SD-WAN component constructs and distributes OMP routes to edge devices, enabling centralized control-plane functionality? 

vManage
B. vBond Orchestrator
C. vSmart Controller
D. vEdge Router

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

A provides management and configuration capabilities for devices in the fabric. While important, it does not function as the core control-plane route distributor.

B coordinates WAN edge onboarding, NAT traversal, and initial control-plane bring-up. It is essential for authentication, but not responsible for routing distribution.

C serves as the central control-plane figure in the architecture. It exchanges routing information with edge devices using the protocol, computes policies, and distributes them to routers. It is responsible for path selection logic, route advertisement, TLOC associations, and policy enforcement. This matches the question exactly.

D participates in data-plane forwarding and TLOC connectivity but does not distribute control-plane routes to other devices.

T,hus C is correct.

Question 200

Which method enables scalable multicast in an enterprise environment by allowing receivers to join the closest source through a shared-to-shortest-path-tree transition?

PIM Dense Mode
B. IGMP Snooping
C. PIM Sparse Mode
D. PIM BIDIR

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

A flood multicasts traffic throughout the network initially and then prunes unwanted branches. It is not scalable and does not use shared-to-shortest-path-tree transitions effectively.

B optimizes Layer 2 multicast behavior by preventing flooding but does not create Layer 3 multicast routing trees.

C uses a Rendezvous Point to form shared trees and allows transitions to shortest-path trees near receivers. This ensures scalability, efficiency, and optimal routing. It fits the described method precisely.

D supports many-to-many communication without shortest-path-tree transitions.

Thus, C is correct.

Question 201

In Microsoft SC-900, which feature of Azure Active Directory allows administrators to require multiple forms of verification before granting access to sensitive resources?

A) Conditional Access Policies
B) Privileged Identity Management
C) Azure AD Identity Protection
D) Security Defaults

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

In today’s digital landscape, securing access to organizational resources is more complex than ever. Users access applications and data from a variety of devices, locations, and networks, and threats are constantly evolving. Organizations require solutions that can enforce security policies dynamically, adapting to the context of each sign-in and protecting sensitive resources without overly burdening legitimate users. Among Microsoft’s suite of identity and security solutions, one in particular provides this level of control by enabling proactive, flexible, and context-aware access management.

Conditional Access policies allow administrators to define specific conditions under which users must provide additional verification before gaining access to resources. These conditions can include multifactor authentication requirements, compliance checks for the devices being used, geographic location-based rules, and application-specific policies. For example, a user attempting to access a sensitive finance application from an unmanaged device in a high-risk location can be prompted for MFA or blocked entirely. The system evaluates each sign-in attempt in real time, taking into account multiple factors to determine whether access should be granted, denied, or challenged with additional authentication requirements. This dynamic approach helps organizations enforce strong security without unnecessarily hindering productivity, as controls can be applied selectively based on risk and context.

Conditional Access is highly customizable and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, a wide variety of SaaS applications, and on-premises systems through Azure Active Directory. Administrators can tailor policies to meet organizational requirements, defining rules that balance security with usability. This flexibility ensures that different departments, user groups, or applications can have policies appropriate to their level of sensitivity and risk exposure. By providing detailed reporting and monitoring, Conditional Access also allows organizations to review the effectiveness of policies and make adjustments as threats and business needs evolve.

Other Microsoft solutions address different aspects of identity and security management, but do not provide the same proactive and contextual enforcement for all users. Privileged Identity Management focuses on administrative accounts, offering just-in-time role activation, approval workflows, and access reviews. While this reduces the risk associated with standing administrative privileges, it does not enforce conditional access policies for general users across resources. Azure AD Identity Protection uses risk-based intelligence to detect suspicious sign-ins and compromised accounts. It can trigger MFA or block access when risks are detected, but its approach is primarily reactive rather than proactive for all users. Security Defaults, on the other hand, provides a baseline set of protections, such as enabling MFA for all users and blocking legacy authentication. While useful for small organizations or initial deployments, it lacks the granularity and flexibility needed for per-resource and context-aware access control.

Conditional Access policies are the solution designed to provide proactive, adaptive, and flexible enforcement of access requirements. By dynamically evaluating user sign-ins, device compliance, location, application type, and risk signals, these policies help organizations secure sensitive resources effectively while maintaining usability. They provide administrators with the tools to implement tailored controls across the environment, making them an essential component of modern identity and access management strategies.

Question 202

Which Microsoft compliance feature helps classify and protect documents based on sensitivity labels?

A) Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
B) Microsoft Purview Information Protection
C) Azure Key Vault
D) Azure Security Center

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

In the modern enterprise environment, organizations face growing pressure to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. With vast amounts of information stored across cloud services, collaboration platforms, and on-premises systems, it is no longer sufficient to rely solely on perimeter security or endpoint protection. Enterprises need a solution that not only secures access but also classifies, labels, and applies protections directly to the data itself. Among Microsoft solutions, one stands out for enabling comprehensive data classification and protection, supporting both compliance and information governance strategies.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides advanced threat detection, antivirus protection, and endpoint security features. It focuses on identifying malware, ransomware, and other threats on devices, helping to prevent unauthorized access and compromise. While it is crucial for maintaining the security of endpoints, it does not provide capabilities for classifying documents or applying sensitivity labels to protect organizational data according to its content. Endpoint security alone cannot ensure that sensitive information is consistently handled in a compliant manner across different storage locations and collaborative environments.

Microsoft Purview Information Protection, in contrast, is designed specifically to address the challenge of managing sensitive information at scale. It enables administrators to apply sensitivity labels to documents, emails, and other content, categorizing information based on its level of confidentiality—such as confidential, internal, or public. These labels can enforce a variety of protections, including encryption, access restrictions, and visual markings that signal the sensitivity of a document to users. The application of sensitivity labels can be automated based on pre-defined rules or applied manually by users, providing flexibility and ensuring that policies are consistently enforced across the organization. Integration with Microsoft Office applications, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, and other storage services ensures that sensitive data is protected no matter where it resides.

In addition to classification and labeling, Microsoft Purview Information Protection supports retention policies, encryption, and data loss prevention measures. This integration allows organizations to define comprehensive compliance strategies that protect data from accidental or intentional leaks, ensure proper handling throughout its lifecycle, and demonstrate adherence to regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, or industry-specific standards. By combining classification, protection, and monitoring, it enables organizations to proactively manage sensitive information rather than reacting after incidents occur.

Other Microsoft solutions serve different but complementary purposes. Azure Key Vault primarily functions as a secure repository for cryptographic keys, certificates, and secrets, supporting encryption and secure access management. While it is critical for safeguarding cryptographic materials, it does not classify or label data based on content sensitivity. Azure Security Center monitors the security posture of cloud resources, provides recommendations for configuration hardening, and alerts administrators to potential vulnerabilities or misconfigurations. However, it does not provide the granular data classification or labeling capabilities necessary for managing sensitive information across an enterprise.

Therefore, for organizations seeking to classify, label, and enforce protection policies on data as part of a comprehensive compliance and governance strategy, Microsoft Purview Information Protection is the appropriate solution. Its ability to integrate with multiple services, apply labels automatically or manually, and enforce encryption, access restrictions, and retention policies makes it central to a proactive approach to data security and regulatory compliance.

Question 203

Which Microsoft tool provides visibility and alerts for potential identity compromise risks across the organization?

A) Azure AD Identity Protection
B) Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
C) Azure Monitor
D) Microsoft Endpoint Manager

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

In today’s enterprise environments, identity security is a critical concern. Compromised credentials, risky sign-ins, and unusual account activity can serve as early indicators of cyberattacks or insider threats. Organizations require solutions that not only detect these threats but also assess the level of risk associated with each user and provide actionable insights to mitigate potential harm. One Microsoft solution is specifically designed to address these challenges by leveraging advanced analytics and machine learning to provide proactive identity protection.

Azure AD Identity Protection continuously monitors user sign-ins and account activities to identify suspicious behavior. By analyzing patterns such as leaked credentials, atypical travel locations, or unusual login times, the system can detect anomalies that may indicate potential compromise. Each sign-in or account activity is assigned a risk score, enabling administrators to prioritize incidents and focus on the most critical threats. This risk-based approach allows organizations to implement targeted responses rather than applying blanket policies, ensuring that security measures are both effective and minimally disruptive to legitimate users.

In addition to detection, Azure AD Identity Protection provides automated remediation capabilities. For example, when a high-risk sign-in is detected, the system can automatically require multi-factor authentication or temporarily block access until the user can verify their identity. Administrators can also configure custom policies to trigger specific actions based on risk levels, ensuring that the organization’s security posture adapts dynamically to emerging threats. Detailed reporting and dashboards allow IT teams to track trends, investigate suspicious activity, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, all while reducing manual monitoring overhead.

Other Microsoft solutions offer valuable security and management features, but are not focused specifically on identity risk. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, for instance, emphasizes cloud application security, shadow IT discovery, and anomaly detection within SaaS applications. While it can identify unusual behaviors in cloud apps, it does not provide comprehensive identity risk assessments or proactive account protection for all users. Azure Monitor collects and aggregates telemetry from infrastructure, applications, and services, enabling performance monitoring, alerting, and operational insights. However, it does not evaluate user accounts for suspicious sign-ins or compromised credentials. Microsoft Endpoint Manager focuses on device management, configuration enforcement, and compliance policies, ensuring that endpoints meet organizational standards. While it plays an important role in overall security, it does not detect risky user behavior or compromised accounts directly.

By combining continuous monitoring, machine learning-driven detection, risk scoring, automated remediation, and detailed reporting, Azure AD Identity Protection provides a proactive approach to identity security. Organizations gain the ability to respond quickly to potential threats, protect user accounts from compromise, and ensure that sensitive resources remain secure. Its integration with Azure Active Directory and other Microsoft security tools allows enterprises to implement a coordinated, comprehensive security strategy that addresses identity risks at scale.For enterprises seeking a solution that focuses on identity threat detection, risk assessment, and automated remediation, Azure AD Identity Protection is the most appropriate choice. It offers a proactive, data-driven, and adaptive approach to securing user accounts against modern threats.

Question 204

In SC-900, which Microsoft feature enforces least-privilege access and just-in-time role activation for administrative accounts?

A) Azure AD Privileged Identity Management
B) Conditional Access
C) Microsoft Defender for Identity
D) Microsoft Information Protection

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

In modern enterprise environments, managing administrative privileges is a critical component of maintaining security and compliance. Administrative accounts inherently carry elevated permissions, making them prime targets for malicious actors. If left unmonitored or over-provisioned, these accounts can pose a significant security risk. To mitigate these risks, organizations require solutions that provide controlled, time-bound access to administrative roles, ensure accountability, and enable detailed auditing of privileged activities. One Microsoft solution specifically addresses these needs by enabling organizations to implement just-in-time administrative access with structured oversight.

Azure AD Privileged Identity Management allows organizations to assign administrative roles temporarily, ensuring that elevated privileges are only granted when necessary. Instead of providing permanent administrative rights, which can remain unused or misused over time, this solution allows roles to be activated on demand for specific tasks and for a limited duration. This approach minimizes the attack surface, reducing the likelihood that an attacker could exploit dormant or unused privileges. Additionally, administrators can set up approval workflows so that elevation of privileges requires authorization from designated reviewers. This adds an extra layer of control, ensuring that only legitimate requests are granted and that there is a formal process for accountability.

Another key feature of Azure AD Privileged Identity Management is access reviews. Organizations can periodically review assigned roles and privileges to confirm that users still require elevated access. These reviews help maintain compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards by preventing unnecessary accumulation of administrative permissions. The system also tracks all activities performed by privileged accounts, providing detailed logs and audit trails. This auditing capability is essential for detecting potential misuse, investigating incidents, and demonstrating compliance during regulatory assessments.

Other Microsoft solutions provide security-related capabilities but do not address temporary administrative access in the same way. Conditional Access, for instance, focuses on controlling access to applications and resources based on user sign-in conditions such as device compliance, location, or risk signals. While it is critical for enforcing access policies, it does not manage the duration of administrative roles or support just-in-time activation. Microsoft Defender for Identity monitors on-premises Active Directory for suspicious behavior, lateral movement, and potential compromises. It provides valuable threat detection and alerts, but it does not enforce temporary administrative privileges or workflows for role elevation. Microsoft Information Protection, on the other hand, specializes in classifying and protecting sensitive data across the organization, ensuring proper handling of critical information. While essential for data governance, it is unrelated to managing administrative access or privileges.

Azure AD Privileged Identity Management is the solution designed specifically for managing elevated administrative roles securely and efficiently. By enabling time-limited access, structured approval workflows, periodic access reviews, and comprehensive activity tracking, it ensures that administrative privileges are granted only when necessary and remain accountable. This reduces security risks, supports regulatory compliance, and provides organizations with a robust framework for overseeing privileged access. Other Microsoft tools provide complementary security functions but do not provide the same level of control over temporary administrative privileges and just-in-time access.

Question 205

Which Microsoft compliance solution helps organizations discover, classify, and manage sensitive data across cloud and on-premises repositories? 

A) Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention
B) Microsoft Purview Data Map and Catalog
C) Azure Sentinel
D) Microsoft Defender Antivirus

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

In modern enterprises, safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations has become an essential requirement. Organizations need tools that not only prevent accidental sharing or leakage of data but also help them understand and manage the vast amounts of information stored across different systems and platforms. Two Microsoft solutions, in particular, provide complementary capabilities in this area: one focuses on policy-driven prevention of data loss, while the other emphasizes the discovery and cataloging of information.

The first solution defines and enforces policies to prevent the unintentional exposure of sensitive data. It is particularly effective in scenarios where the data has already been classified according to its sensitivity level. By relying on pre-classified information, this solution can apply rules that restrict how certain types of data are shared or accessed. For example, if a document contains confidential financial information or personal identifiable information (PII), the system can automatically prevent it from being emailed externally or uploaded to unauthorized platforms. This policy-driven approach ensures that employees cannot accidentally leak critical information, helping organizations maintain compliance with internal security standards as well as regulatory frameworks such as GDPR or HIPAA. Its focus is on controlling behavior around data sharing, enforcing encryption, and monitoring access patterns to mitigate risks before they result in breaches or exposure. The effectiveness of this approach depends largely on the accuracy of data classification, which must be done proactively and consistently.

The second solution complements this by providing a comprehensive discovery and cataloging capability. It scans data across multiple repositories, including collaboration platforms such as SharePoint, file servers, databases, and cloud storage. Unlike the first solution, it does not rely solely on pre-classified information; instead, it builds an inventory of organizational data by identifying, indexing, and categorizing content automatically. This creates a centralized view of the data landscape, allowing administrators and compliance officers to understand where sensitive information resides, how it is being used, and where potential risks may exist. By creating detailed metadata and applying classification rules during the scanning process, the system enables more informed decision-making about access controls, retention policies, and compliance reporting. Organizations can quickly locate critical documents, track usage patterns, and ensure that data governance policies are being consistently applied across diverse systems.

Together, these two approaches address the key challenges of data protection: proactive prevention and comprehensive visibility. The first solution focuses on preventing data loss and accidental leakage by enforcing policies on already-classified information, while the second provides insight and structure to the organization’s data, enabling classification, tracking, and discovery of sensitive content wherever it exists. By combining policy enforcement with detailed cataloging, organizations gain a robust framework for managing information security, mitigating risks, and ensuring regulatory compliance across all data sources.

One of these Microsoft solutions specializes in defining and enforcing rules to prevent accidental sharing of sensitive content based on pre-classified data, while the other focuses on scanning, indexing, and cataloging organizational data from multiple locations to provide comprehensive visibility and management capabilities.

Question 206

Which Microsoft SC-900 feature allows organizations to enforce encryption and access restrictions based on document classification?

A) Microsoft Purview Information Protection
B) Azure Key Vault
C) Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
D) Azure Security Center

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

Microsoft Purview Information Protection enables the classification of documents and emails with sensitivity labels such as Confidential, Highly Confidential, or Internal. Once labeled, it enforces encryption, access restrictions, visual markings, and usage policies. Labels can be applied automatically using content inspection, manually by users, or via policy templates, making it a comprehensive solution for protecting sensitive organizational data. It integrates with Microsoft 365 apps, SharePoint, Teams, and endpoints, providing end-to-end protection across cloud and on-premises environments.

Azure Key Vault primarily manages cryptographic keys and secrets, but does not classify or enforce restrictions on documents themselves. While Key Vault is critical for securing keys used in encryption, it is not responsible for document classification.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps provides cloud app discovery, activity monitoring, and threat protection for SaaS applications. While it can detect risky behavior and enforce DLP policies in cloud apps, it does not directly apply encryption or access controls based on classification.

Azure Security Center monitors the security posture of Azure resources, provides recommendations, and alerts for misconfigurations,, ns but does not classify or restrict access to sensitive documents.

Thus, A is correct because it combines classification, labeling, encryption, and access control into a single, integrated framework that aligns with regulatory compliance and internal security policies.

Question 207

Which Azure AD feature allows administrators to define rules that grant or block access based on device state, user location, or application sensitivity?
A) Conditional Access
B) Privileged Identity Management
C) Security Defaults
D) Microsoft Defender for Identity

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

In modern digital environments, organizations face an increasing need to control access to sensitive resources while balancing security with user productivity. Users access data and applications from a wide range of devices, locations, and networks, and these access points can carry varying levels of risk. To address these challenges, organizations implement solutions that can dynamically evaluate conditions and enforce policies that adapt to the context of each access attempt. One Microsoft solution excels in this area by providing granular, context-aware access control across an organization’s cloud and on-premises resources.

Conditional Access evaluates a range of conditions to determine whether a user should be allowed to access a specific application or resource. These conditions include the identity of the user, the compliance status of the device being used, the location from which the user is attempting to access resources, risk signals detected by the system, and the type of application in question. By analyzing these factors in real time, Conditional Access can enforce a wide variety of controls to protect sensitive resources while minimizing unnecessary friction for legitimate users. For example, if a user attempts to log in from an unrecognized location or an unmanaged device, the system can require multi-factor authentication before granting access. Policies can also block access entirely in high-risk scenarios or apply session restrictions to reduce exposure if the user is accessing resources from a risky environment. This dynamic and flexible approach enables organizations to secure their applications and data more effectively than traditional static access models.

Other Microsoft security solutions focus on different aspects of identity and security management, but they do not provide the same context-driven access control. Privileged Identity Management, for instance, is designed to manage administrative accounts by providing time-limited access and just-in-time activation. While it helps reduce the risk of standing administrative privileges, it does not define conditional rules for general user access based on location, device compliance, or application context. Security Defaults, on the other hand, is a baseline security configuration that enforces essential protections such as multi-factor authentication and blocks legacy authentication. Although it provides a good starting point for securing identities, it lacks the flexibility and granularity required to tailor access policies to specific organizational needs. Similarly, Microsoft Defender for Identity focuses on monitoring on-premises Active Directory for suspicious behavior, lateral movement, and compromised credentials. While it plays a critical role in threat detection and alerting, it does not enforce access rules based on contextual signals.

Conditional Access is therefore the solution designed to provide proactive, flexible, and context-aware access management. Evaluating multiple signals in real time and enforcing adaptive policies ensures that only trusted users and compliant devices can access sensitive resources, while high-risk scenarios are mitigated effectively. Organizations benefit from a security model that balances protection with usability, giving IT teams the ability to enforce detailed policies without disrupting legitimate workflows. This makes Conditional Access a central component of modern identity and access management strategies, enabling enterprises to maintain robust security while supporting a mobile and distributed workforce.

Question 208

Which Microsoft solution helps organizations detect and respond to potential identity compromises in real-time?

A) Azure AD Identity Protection
B) Microsoft Defender Antivirus
C) Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
D) Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

In today’s enterprise landscape, securing user identities has become as critical as protecting devices or network infrastructure. With the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks, threats to credentials and identity compromise pose a significant risk to organizations of all sizes. Compromised accounts can be used to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, escalate privileges, or move laterally across networks. To address these challenges, organizations require solutions that can proactively detect identity threats, assess risk, and trigger automated responses to prevent potential breaches. Among Microsoft’s suite of security tools, Azure AD Identity Protection is specifically designed to provide these capabilities.

Azure AD Identity Protection leverages risk-based machine learning to continuously monitor user accounts and sign-in activities for unusual or suspicious behavior. This includes detection of compromised credentials, sign-ins from unexpected geographic locations, atypical travel patterns, and other anomalies that could indicate account compromise or malicious activity. Each detected event is assigned a risk score, which enables administrators to quickly prioritize high-risk users and take appropriate action. The system’s adaptive intelligence helps reduce false positives while ensuring that genuine threats are addressed promptly, providing a proactive approach to identity security.

Beyond detection, Azure AD Identity Protection includes automated remediation capabilities. For example, if a high-risk sign-in is identified, the system can require the user to perform multi-factor authentication, reset their password, or temporarily block access until the account can be verified. These automated workflows allow organizations to respond to threats in real time, minimizing the window of opportunity for attackers. Administrators can also configure custom policies and alerts, ensuring that the organization’s specific security requirements are enforced consistently across all accounts. By providing detailed reporting and risk analysis, the tool also helps support compliance with regulatory standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, and industry-specific requirements.

Other Microsoft solutions play important roles in security, but do not focus on identity risk in the same way. Microsoft Defender Antivirus protects at the device level, defending against malware, ransomware, and other malicious software. While critical for endpoint security, it does not monitor user accounts or evaluate identity risk across the organization. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint expands device protection further by offering threat detection, incident response, and endpoint monitoring, but it similarly lacks comprehensive identity risk assessment and cannot proactively detect compromised credentials or risky sign-ins. Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal is focused on data governance, regulatory compliance, and information protection. It helps organizations classify and manage sensitive data, apply retention policies, and enforce regulatory standards, but it does not actively monitor accounts for signs of compromise or evaluate identity-related risks.

For organizations seeking a solution that specializes in proactive identity risk detection, analysis, and mitigation, Azure AD Identity Protection is the optimal choice. By combining machine learning-driven monitoring, risk scoring, and automated remediation, it enables enterprises to protect user accounts, respond to threats in real time, and maintain a strong security posture. While other Microsoft tools address device protection or data governance, only Azure AD Identity Protection delivers a comprehensive approach to safeguarding identities across the enterprise.

Question 209

Which feature of Azure AD allows just-in-time access and time-limited administrative role activation? 

A) Privileged Identity Management
B) Conditional Access
C) Security Defaults
D) Azure AD Identity Protection

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

In modern enterprises, managing administrative privileges is one of the most critical aspects of maintaining a secure IT environment. Administrative accounts inherently carry elevated permissions, which, if mismanaged, can become a significant security risk. Unauthorized access or misuse of high-privilege accounts can lead to data breaches, unauthorized changes in configurations, and exposure of sensitive resources. To address these challenges, organizations require solutions that not only assign administrative roles but also ensure that these privileges are temporary, monitored, and compliant with internal security policies. One Microsoft solution excels at delivering these capabilities: Privileged Identity Management.

Privileged Identity Management allows organizations to assign administrative roles that are activated only when needed. This just-in-time access approach ensures that high-privilege accounts do not remain continuously active, minimizing the risk associated with standing administrative privileges. By activating roles temporarily, administrators gain the permissions necessary for a specific task or time window and then revert to standard access afterward. This model enforces the principle of least privilege, which is fundamental to minimizing security exposure in complex IT environments.

In addition to temporary activation, Privileged Identity Management provides structured approval workflows. These workflows require authorization from designated reviewers before an administrative role can be activated. This additional layer of control prevents unauthorized or unnecessary elevation of privileges and ensures that all role activations are monitored and approved according to organizational policies. Moreover, PIM supports access reviews, allowing organizations to periodically assess which users still require elevated privileges. This continuous review process strengthens compliance tracking, ensuring that privileges are assigned appropriately and aligned with internal security standards and regulatory requirements.

Other Microsoft solutions address different aspects of identity and access management, but do not offer the same level of control over temporary administrative roles. Conditional Access, for instance, evaluates access conditions such as user risk, device compliance, location, and application type. While Conditional Access is excellent for enforcing adaptive authentication policies, it does not provide time-limited role activation or manage privileged accounts specifically. Security Defaults provides a baseline security configuration, enabling multi-factor authentication and blocking legacy authentication. Although it improves baseline protection, it lacks the granularity and flexibility needed for managing administrative privileges or temporary access. Azure AD Identity Protection monitors user accounts and sign-ins for suspicious activity, including potential compromises or risky behavior. While it enhances identity security by detecting threats, it does not allow administrators to manage the activation and deactivation of privileged roles.

Privileged Identity Management is the solution designed specifically to provide secure, just-in-time access for high-privilege accounts. By combining temporary role activation, approval workflows, and regular access reviews, it ensures that administrative privileges are granted only when necessary, reducing security risks and supporting compliance initiatives. While other Microsoft tools address authentication, baseline security, and identity threat detection, only Privileged Identity Management delivers comprehensive role management for privileged accounts, making it a critical component of modern identity and access management strategies.

Question 210

Which Microsoft SC-900 solution provides discovery, classification, and management of sensitive data across cloud and on-premises environments? 

A) Microsoft Purview Data Map and Catalog
B) Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
C) Azure Security Center
D) Azure Sentinel

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

In today’s data-driven business environment, organizations generate and store vast amounts of information across a variety of platforms. This includes cloud services, collaboration tools, on-premises databases, and file servers. As the volume of data grows, so does the need to ensure that sensitive information is properly identified, classified, and managed to meet regulatory compliance requirements and reduce the risk of unauthorized access or exposure. One Microsoft solution stands out for addressing these challenges by providing a comprehensive approach to data discovery, classification, and governance.

Microsoft Purview Data Map and Catalog is designed to scan and catalog data across multiple repositories, including popular collaboration tools like SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and OneDrive, as well as structured databases such as SQL Server and even on-premises storage systems. The system automatically discovers data, extracts metadata, and creates an inventory that provides organizations with full visibility of their data landscape. This centralized catalog makes it easier to manage data consistently, understand where sensitive information resides, and assess potential risks. By building a detailed map of all organizational data, administrators can implement policies that govern access, retention, and sharing in accordance with internal standards and regulatory requirements.

An important feature of this solution is its ability to classify and label data based on sensitivity. It allows organizations to apply predefined or custom classification rules to documents, emails, databases, and other types of content. For instance, information containing personally identifiable information (PII), financial records, or intellectual property can be automatically tagged with sensitivity labels. This classification not only supports compliance with regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA but also enables more effective enforcement of data governance policies. By knowing exactly where sensitive data exists, organizations can reduce the risk of accidental exposure, improve data security, and ensure proper handling across all storage locations.

In contrast, other Microsoft security and management tools serve different purposes and do not provide the same level of data cataloging and classification. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint primarily focuses on protecting individual devices from malware, ransomware, and other endpoint threats, rather than managing or classifying organizational data. Azure Security Center monitors the security posture of cloud resources and provides recommendations for hardening configurations, but it does not scan repositories to classify or catalog sensitive content. Azure Sentinel functions as a security information and event management system, analyzing logs and detecting threats across cloud and on-premises environments, but it does not manage or govern data based on sensitivity or compliance rules.

Therefore, the solution that enables comprehensive discovery, classification, and governance of organizational data across multiple locations is Microsoft Purview Data Map and Catalog. By combining automated data discovery, metadata extraction, and sensitivity labeling, it provides organizations with the tools necessary to understand their data landscape, enforce governance policies, and maintain compliance. This makes it the ideal choice for enterprises seeking to improve data management practices while reducing the risks associated with unstructured or poorly managed information.