SC-300 - Implement Authentication and Access Management - Section 2.1

Plan and manage Microsoft Entra authentication methods including passwordless options.

Describe certificate-based authentication, Temporary Access Pass, Microsoft Authenticator, and passkeys (FIDO2) as options in the authentication methods policy. Select the right combination for a given security posture and recognise when a Temporary Access Pass is needed to onboard a passwordless credential.

certificate-based authenticationTemporary Access PassOAuth 2.0 tokensMicrosoft Authenticatorpasskeys (FIDO2)authentication methods policy

Practice question for this objective

Free sampleImplement Authentication and Access Managementmedium

A new starter receives a corporate laptop but has no existing credential and must register a FIDO2 security key for passwordless sign-in on their first day, without a help desk agent setting a temporary password. Which Microsoft Entra authentication method should an administrator issue so the user can complete onboarding and register the key?

  • AIssue a Temporary Access Pass so the new starter signs in with the time-limited passcode and then registers the FIDO2 security key from My Sign-Ins. Correct
  • BIssue a self-service password reset link so the new starter can set an initial password and then enrol the FIDO2 security key from My Sign-Ins.
  • CIssue an OATH hardware token so the new starter signs in with the rotating code and then registers the FIDO2 security key from My Sign-Ins.
  • DIssue a Microsoft Authenticator push registration so the new starter approves a prompt and then registers the FIDO2 security key from My Sign-Ins.
A Temporary Access Pass is the time-limited credential used to onboard users with no existing method so they can register passwordless options. A Temporary Access Pass is a one-time or time-limited passcode created by an administrator that lets a user without any registered credential sign in and then enrol strong methods like a FIDO2 key. Self-service reset, OATH tokens, and Authenticator all presume an existing credential, so none of them bootstraps a fresh account on its own.

Why A is correct: A Temporary Access Pass is a time-limited passcode designed to onboard users with no existing credential so they can register passwordless methods such as a FIDO2 key, matching the requirement exactly.

Why B is wrong: Self-service password reset still produces a password-based credential and assumes the user already has a registered method to verify, so it does not bootstrap a brand new account cleanly.

Why C is wrong: An OATH hardware token is a second factor that supplements a password; it cannot serve as the primary bootstrap credential for an account that has no password set yet.

Why D is wrong: Registering Authenticator itself needs an existing verified credential to start the flow, so it cannot be the first method handed to an account that has nothing registered.

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