Free Practice Questions for the Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator Associate SC-401 Exam (2026 Updated)

You are creating a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy in Microsoft 365 with advanced rules . Advanced DLP rules provide more granular conditions and actions than standard DLP rules.

Conditions available in advanced DLP

According to Microsoft Docs on Conditions in DLP policies:

✅ Content contains → Used to detect sensitive information types , keywords, or exact data matches. This is one of the most common and fundamental DLP conditions.

✅ Content is shared from Microsoft 365 → Used to detect whether content has been shared externally or with specific domains/users. This is a modern advanced DLP condition .

Why the others are not correct:

A. Document property is → This condition applies to information governance retention policies/labels (not DLP). Not available in DLP rules.

B. Attachment ' s file extension is → This is supported in Exchange mail flow rules (transport rules) but not in advanced DLP rules.

C. Document size equals or is greater than → Also applies in Exchange transport rules and certain SharePoint restrictions, but not available as a DLP rule condition.

Microsoft Purview browser extensions for Endpoint DLP are supported on:

● Windows 10/11 (Config1)

● macOS (Config2)

● Not supported on Android (Config3)

Since Microsoft Purview does not support browser extensions on Android, Config3 is excluded from both Google Chrome and Firefox.

Understanding DLP Policy Impact on File Access

The DLP policy (DLPpolicy1) applies to Site2 and restricts access when:

● Content contains SWIFT Codes.

● Instance count is 2 or more.

File Analysis (Based on SWIFT Codes Count)

Files that remain accessible (not restricted by DLP):

● File1.docx (Contains only 1 SWIFT Code → Below restriction threshold)

User access after DLP policy is applied:

User1 (Site Owner):

● Has higher privileges and can override DLP restrictions (through admin intervention).

● Can access 2 files (File1.docx + override access to another file).

User2 (Site Visitor):

● Has read-only access but DLP blocks access to restricted files.

● Can only access 1 file (File1.docx), since all others are restricted.

To detect and protect confidential documents, we need a custom rule to identify project codes that start with 999 (since they are classified as confidential).

Box 1: A Sensitive Info Type (SIT) allows Microsoft Purview DLP policies to recognize structured data (e.g., project codes). DLP policies require a sensitive info type to detect content based on patterns, keywords, or dictionary terms. A sensitivity label alone does not define detection logic—it is used for classification and protection after content is identified.

Box 2: Since project codes follow a structured 10-digit pattern, we should use a Regular Expression (Regex) to match project codes that start with 999.

Example Regex pattern:

999\d{7}

This pattern detects a 10-digit number starting with " 999 " .

Retention policy tags (MRM) for Exchange Online are applied by the Managed Folder Assistant (MFA). To apply a newly created Exchange retention policy to mailbox items immediately, you manually invoke MFA with Start-ManagedFolderAssistant for the mailbox or set of mailboxes. Creating DLP policies or label policies in Purview does not accelerate MRM processing.

The goal is to automatically label documents in Site1 that contain credit card numbers. To achieve this, we need a sensitivity label with an auto-labeling policy based on a sensitive info type that detects credit card numbers.

Step 1: Create a Sensitive Info Type

● A sensitive info type is needed to detect credit card numbers in documents.

● Microsoft Purview includes built-in sensitive info types for credit card numbers, but we can also create a custom one if necessary.

Step 2: Create a Sensitivity Label

● A sensitivity label is required to classify and protect documents containing sensitive information.

● This label can apply encryption, watermarking, or access controls to credit card data.

Step 3: Create an Auto-Labeling Policy

● An auto-labeling policy ensures that the sensitivity label is applied automatically when credit card numbers are detected in Site1.

● This policy is configured to scan files and automatically apply the correct sensitivity label.

Adding a folder path to the file path exclusions in Microsoft 365 Endpoint DLP does not prevent Tailspin_scanner.exe from accessing protected sensitive information. Instead, it would exclude those files from DLP protection, which is not the intended outcome.

To block Tailspin_scanner.exe from accessing sensitive documents while allowing it to access other files, the correct solution is to use Microsoft Purview Endpoint Data Loss Prevention (Endpoint DLP) and add Tailspin_scanner.exe to the Restricted Apps list.

Endpoint DLP allows you to block specific applications from accessing sensitive files while keeping general access available. Restricted Apps List in Endpoint DLP ensures that Tailspin_scanner.exe cannot open, copy, or process protected documents, but it can still function normally for non-sensitive content.

The requirement states that all Microsoft 365 data for users must be retained for at least one year. In Microsoft 365, retention policies must be configured for each type of data storage.

Step 1: Identifying Where Data is Stored

From the case study, users store data in the following locations:

● SharePoint Online sites

● OneDrive accounts

● Exchange email

● Exchange public folders

● Teams chats

● Teams channel messages

Since these locations fall under two broad categories:

● Microsoft Exchange data (Emails, Public folders)

● SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams data

Step 2: Required Retention Policies

1️. A single retention policy can cover:

● SharePoint Online

● OneDrive

● Microsoft Teams

2. A second retention policy is required for:

● Exchange (Emails & Public Folders)

Thus, the minimum number of retention policies required to meet the requirement is 2.

Microsoft 365 retention policies can be applied broadly across multiple services with just two policies:

● One for Exchange & Public Folders

● One for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams

There ' s no need for separate policies for each individual workload unless different retention durations are required, which is not stated in the requirement.

Understanding Site4 ' s Retention Policies:

● Site4RetentionPolicy1 deletes items older than 2 years from creation. If a file was created on January 1, 2021, it would be deleted after January 1, 2023.

● Site4RetentionPolicy2 retains files for 4 years from creation. If a file was created on January 1, 2021, it will be kept until January 1, 2025, but not deleted after that (policy states " Do nothing " ).

Statement 1 - Yes, because Site4RetentionPolicy2 ensures files are retained for 4 years.

Statement 2 - Yes, because Site4RetentionPolicy2 retains the file for 4 years (until January 1, 2025).

Statement 3 - No, because retention is only for 4 years (until January 1, 2025). After that, the policy does " nothing, " meaning the file is no longer recoverable after that period.

Sensitivity labels can be applied to modern Office file types that support protection:

Supported: .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, etc.

Not supported: Legacy formats like .doc or non-Office formats like .txt.

Therefore, only File2.docx and File3.xlsx can have Label1 applied.

Comprehensive Detailed Explanation with References

Step 1 – Review File2 contents

File2 contains 3 IP addresses.

Step 2 – Review DLP rules and priorities

Rule Condition Policy Tip Stop Processing? Priority

Rule1 1 or more IP addresses Tip1 No 0

Rule2 3 or more IP addresses Tip2 Yes 1

Rule3 2 or more IP addresses Tip3 No 2

Step 3 – Rule evaluation order

Advanced DLP rules are processed by priority order (lowest number first).

Rule1 (Priority 0) will trigger because File2 has at least 1 IP address.

This applies Tip1.

However, Rule1 has Stop Processing = No, so evaluation continues.

Rule2 (Priority 1) will also trigger because File2 has 3 IP addresses (≥3).

This applies Tip2.

Rule2 has Stop Processing = Yes, so evaluation stops after this.

Rule3 (Priority 2) will not be evaluated because Rule2 stopped processing.

Step 4 – Final outcome

File2 matches Rule1 (Tip1), but since Rule2 fires afterward with Stop Processing = Yes, only Tip2 is applied.

Step 5 – Microsoft Reference

From Microsoft docs: “When a rule is configured to stop processing, subsequent rules are not evaluated and only the policy tip from the last triggered rule with stop processing applies.”

Create one service domain group (Allow list) containing Site1 and Site2 and configure the policy action “Allow upload only to sensitive service domains”.

Create a second service domain group (Block list) containing Search1 and Search2 and configure the policy action to block paste (clipboard) to these domains.

A single Endpoint DLP policy can enforce multiple activities (upload to cloud service domains + clipboard to specific domains), so only one policy is required.

Refs: Microsoft Learn – Endpoint DLP: Configure service domains and policy actions (upload/clipboard restrictions) (Purview > Data loss prevention > Endpoint DLP settings and policies).

In Microsoft Purview Exact Data Match (EDM) classifiers, a primary element is a unique, identifying field used for data matching. EDM allows up to two primary elements per schema.

From the provided table, the Match mode indicates how data is analyzed:

● PP (EU Passport Number) → Likely a primary element because it ' s unique.

● Name (All Full Names) → Typically not a primary element as names are common.

● DateOfBirth (Single-token) → Usually a secondary element, not unique.

● AccountNumber (Multi-token) → Can be a primary element, as it ' s a unique identifier.

● Since EDM supports a maximum of two primary elements, the correct answer is 2.

Comprehensive Detailed Explanation with References

Custom Data Access Governance (DAG) data assessment scans in Microsoft Purview can be run on selected SharePoint Online or OneDrive locations to check for oversharing and exposure. Each custom assessment scan supports up to 200,000 items per location. This cap is documented in Microsoft’s guidance for custom data access governance assessments.

This question is about creating a one-click policy within Microsoft Purview ' s Data Security Posture Management for AI portal. These policies are designed to mitigate risks associated with sensitive data and AI websites. The correct configuration for this specific scenario is to select " Test it out first " and apply the policy to " Devices, Instances, and SharePoint sites. " This configuration is based on Microsoft ' s recommended practices for deploying data loss prevention (DLP) and similar policies.

Policy Mode: " Test it out first "

Microsoft recommends using test mode for new policies to evaluate their impact and effectiveness before enforcing them. This approach prevents unintended disruptions to user workflows. In test mode, the policy monitors and audits the specified activities without blocking them. It generates alerts and reports, allowing administrators to review the policy ' s behavior and make necessary adjustments. This aligns with the principle of " start small, then scale, " ensuring that a policy designed to block sensitive data transfers doesn ' t inadvertently prevent legitimate business activities.

Policy Scope: " Devices, Instances, and SharePoint sites "

The policy aims to block users from pasting or uploading sensitive data to AI websites. This requires a comprehensive scope to cover all potential data exfiltration points.

Devices: This covers the user ' s local device, preventing data from being uploaded or pasted from applications running on the machine. This is crucial for controlling data from endpoints.

Instances: This refers to SaaS (Software as a Service) instances, including AI websites. Applying the policy to instances ensures that data transfers to these external services are monitored and controlled.

SharePoint sites: Data residing in SharePoint is a common source of sensitive information. Including SharePoint sites in the policy scope ensures that data cannot be directly copied from these locations and uploaded to AI websites, providing a holistic security posture.

By selecting " Devices, Instances, and SharePoint sites, " the policy is configured to monitor and protect data across the most common sources and destinations, providing a robust defense against data exfiltration to AI services. This comprehensive approach is a cornerstone of modern data security strategies in Microsoft 365.

This information is verifiable through Microsoft ' s official documentation for Microsoft Purview, particularly sections related to Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies and Data Security Posture Management for AI. The best practice of " test first " and the broad scope for sensitive data protection are consistently recommended.

The action " SiteRenamed " for SharePoint is covered under the AuditRetention4 policy, which applies to User1 and retains logs for 9 months.

The action " Send " for ExchangeItem is covered under the AuditRetention2 policy, but this policy applies only to User1. Since User2 is not covered under a specific policy, the default retention period for audit logs in Microsoft Purview is 90 days.

Endpoint DLP builds on Microsoft Defender for Endpoint integration. Before enabling Endpoint DLP, you must turn on device onboarding in Microsoft Purview to allow devices (like Device1) to be enrolled. After onboarding, you can assign DLP policies to endpoints.

You want files in Site1 that are labeled with Label1 to automatically move to Site2 two years after creation.

In Microsoft Purview Retention Labels, under “Choose what happens after the retention period”, the available options are:

Deactivate retention settings – Ends retention but does not move files.

Start a disposition review – Sends items to reviewers for approval (manual process, not auto-move).

Change the label – Applies a new retention label (but does not move files to another site).

Run a Power Automate flow – Executes an automated workflow such as moving the file to another SharePoint library or site, notifying users, or applying custom business processes.

Since the requirement is automatic movement of files from Site1 to Site2 after 2 years, the only valid choice is Run a Power Automate flow.

Step 1 – Problem statement

User1 has the Compliance Administrator role but cannot view the regular expression in the built-in IP Address sensitive info type.

This is expected because:

Microsoft provides a large set of built-in sensitive info types (SITs).

For these built-in SITs, the underlying regular expressions, keywords, or detection logic are not exposed to administrators for security reasons.

As a result, even with Compliance Administrator privileges, User1 cannot directly see or modify the regex in the built-in IP Address SIT.

Step 2 – Microsoft solution

To view or modify the regex:

You must create a copy of the built-in SIT.

Once copied, the new custom SIT allows you to edit and view the regex and supporting elements.

This is the only supported way to customize or examine the detection logic.

???? Reference: Create a custom sensitive information type

“You can ' t directly modify the definitions of built-in sensitive information types, but you can create a copy of an existing SIT and then edit it.”

Step 3 – Why not the other options?

A. Reviewer role group → Reviewers are for records management/discovery, not SIT regex visibility.

C. Test function → Allows you to test SIT detection but does not reveal the regex.

D. Global Reader role → Read-only access, does not expose regex definitions either.

To meet the requirement that all administrative users must be able to create Microsoft 365 sensitivity labels, we need to assign the Sensitivity Label Administrator role to the correct users.

Sensitivity Label Administrator Role Responsibilities

This role allows users to:

● Create and manage sensitivity labels in Microsoft Purview.

● Publish and configure auto-labeling policies.

● Modify label encryption and content marking settings.

Review of Admin Roles from the Table:

Users that must be assigned the Sensitivity Label Administrator role:

● Admin2 (Compliance Data Administrator)

● Admin3 (Compliance Administrator)

● Admin1 (Global Reader) (should be assigned this role to fulfill the requirement that all admins can create labels).