SC-900 Security, Compliance & Identity Concepts 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which security principle states that users should be granted only the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job functions?
- Defense in depth
- Least privilege (Correct answer)
- Zero trust
- Separation of duties
Correct answer: Least privilege
Least privilege limits user access rights to only what is strictly required for their role, reducing the attack surface.
Question 2: What type of attack involves an attacker intercepting and potentially altering communication between two parties without their knowledge?
- Phishing attack
- Denial of service attack
- Man-in-the-middle attack (Correct answer)
- SQL injection attack
Correct answer: Man-in-the-middle attack
A man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack occurs when an attacker secretly relays and possibly alters communications between two parties.
Question 3: In the context of identity, what does the term 'federation' refer to?
- Combining multiple user accounts into one
- A trust relationship between identity providers across organizations (Correct answer)
- Encrypting identity tokens for secure storage
- Requiring multiple authentication factors
Correct answer: A trust relationship between identity providers across organizations
Federation establishes a trust relationship between identity providers, allowing users from one organization to access resources in another without separate credentials.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'data sovereignty'?
- The right of individuals to control their personal data
- The legal concept that data is subject to the laws of the country where it is stored (Correct answer)
- Encrypting data so only the owner can access it
- Backing up data in multiple geographic locations
Correct answer: The legal concept that data is subject to the laws of the country where it is stored
Data sovereignty refers to the principle that digital data is subject to the laws and governance structures of the nation where it is physically stored.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system?
- To encrypt sensitive data at rest
- To manage user passwords and credentials
- To collect, analyze, and correlate security events across an organization (Correct answer)
- To block unauthorized network traffic at the perimeter
Correct answer: To collect, analyze, and correlate security events across an organization
A SIEM system aggregates and analyzes log data from multiple sources to detect threats, generate alerts, and support incident response.
Question 6: Which concept describes the practice of verifying every access request as though it originates from an untrusted network, regardless of location?
- Perimeter security
- Zero trust (Correct answer)
- Defense in depth
- Network segmentation
Correct answer: Zero trust
Zero trust assumes no implicit trust for any user or device, requiring continuous verification regardless of whether the request comes from inside or outside the network.
Question 7: What is 'social engineering' in the context of cybersecurity?
- Using social media platforms to advertise security products
- Manipulating people into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security (Correct answer)
- Building social networks within an IT team to improve collaboration
- Automating security awareness training programs
Correct answer: Manipulating people into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security
Social engineering exploits human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information or granting access.
SC-900 Security, Compliance & Identity Concepts 2
Which security principle states that users should be granted only the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job functions?