MD-102 Protect devices Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are features of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint that help protect devices?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse Data loss prevention (a compliance feature) with device protection features in Defender for Endpoint, or mistakenly think Conditional Access policies are part of Defender for Endpoint when they are actually an identity and access management feature in Microsoft Entra ID.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Attack surface reduction rules
Attack surface reduction rules (A) are a feature of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint that help protect devices by applying configurable rules to block behaviors commonly used by malware, such as Office macro execution, script obfuscation, and credential theft. These rules reduce the attack surface by preventing malicious actions at the process level, leveraging Windows Defender Antivirus and the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint cloud service.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Attack surface reduction rules
Why this is correct
These rules reduce the attack surface.
- ✓
Endpoint detection and response
Why this is correct
EDR provides threat detection and response capabilities.
- ✓
Next-generation protection
Why this is correct
This includes antivirus and antimalware.
- ✗
Data loss prevention
Why it's wrong here
This is a Microsoft Purview feature.
- ✗
Conditional access policies
Why it's wrong here
This is a Microsoft Entra ID feature.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Endpoint Management in Microsoft 365
Key term
Malware
Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause damage, disrupt operations, steal data, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems.
Key term
Attack surface reduction
Attack surface reduction is a set of security practices that minimizes the number of ways an attacker can access or exploit a system by removing unnecessary features, locking down configurations, and controlling software behavior.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This MD-102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the MD-102 exam.