Staff Aug: Interview Questions

What is the first area you assess in a Microsoft cloud environment?

Identity and access (Entra ID) because it represents the largest attack surface.

Why is identity considered the primary attack surface?

Because most modern breaches involve credential theft rather than infrastructure exploits.

What is Entra ID?

Microsoft’s identity and access management platform (formerly Azure AD).

Why should Global Admin accounts not have E3 licenses?

To eliminate exposure to phishing

What is the purpose of separate admin accounts?

To reduce blast radius and prevent compromise of privileged access through daily-use accounts.

What is Conditional Access?

A policy engine that enforces access decisions based on identity

What is the goal of Conditional Access?

Reduce risk without disrupting legitimate business access.

Why block legacy authentication?

Legacy protocols bypass MFA and are commonly exploited in credential-based attacks.

What is a break-glass account?

An emergency admin account excluded from Conditional Access to prevent tenant lockout.

How many break-glass accounts are recommended?

At least two

When should device compliance be required for admins?

Only after endpoint management maturity is confirmed to avoid lockouts.

Why not enforce all security controls immediately?

Over-enforcement can cause outages and disrupt business operations.

How do you balance security and usability?

By phasing controls

What is Microsoft 365 governance?

Policies and standards that control access

Why is Teams governance important?

To prevent sprawl

What is a common Teams governance risk?

Unrestricted guest access and uncontrolled team creation.

Why is Exchange Online important from a security perspective?

Email remains a primary phishing and attack vector.

What is licensing considered from a security standpoint?

A security control that can reduce exposure when applied correctly.

What should be reviewed in an identity assessment?

MFA coverage

What is admin role separation?

Using privileged roles only when necessary and minimizing standing access.

How do you communicate risk to an IT Director?

By explaining impact

How do you handle pushback from internal teams?

By presenting options

What is the purpose of a 30-60-90 day plan?

To show structured onboarding

What is the focus of the first 30 days?

Learning the environment

What is the focus of days 31–60?

Prioritizing recommendations and aligning with leadership.

What is the focus of days 61–90?

Implementing approved changes and enabling the internal team.

Why is documentation important?

It ensures consistency

What is governance cadence?

Regular reviews of access

How do you avoid becoming a bottleneck?

By empowering the internal team through documentation and knowledge transfer.

What defines senior-level troubleshooting?

Understanding systems holistically and resolving root causes

What is the role of an advisory engineer?

Guide

Why is soft skill communication critical?

Because technical changes require leadership buy-in and user trust.

What does success look like in a staff augmentation role?

Reduced risk