The correct answer is that security baselines must be configured and assigned in Intune endpoint security. This is because Intune security baselines are pre-defined groups of Windows settings that enforce a desired security posture; without assigning these baseline policies to your devices, there is no standard for the devices to compare against, and Intune cannot generate compliance reports. On the MD-102 exam, this concept tests your understanding of the relationship between configuration and reporting—a common trap is assuming that simply enabling Microsoft Defender for Endpoint automatically triggers baseline compliance reporting, when in fact the baseline assignment is the prerequisite. Remember the memory tip: "No baseline assigned, no compliance reported."
MD-102 Prepare infrastructure for devices Practice Question
This MD-102 practice question tests your understanding of prepare infrastructure for devices. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (Defender XDR) to manage endpoint security. You need to ensure that all Windows devices report their security baselines compliance to Intune. Which configuration should you verify?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Security baselines are configured and assigned in Intune endpoint security
Option C is correct because Intune security baselines are the mechanism that defines and enforces security configuration policies on Windows devices. To report compliance with those baselines, the baselines must first be configured and assigned to the devices via Intune endpoint security. Without this assignment, devices have no baseline to compare against, and compliance reporting will not occur.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Devices are onboarded to Defender for Endpoint
Why it's wrong here
Onboarding is necessary but not sufficient for baseline compliance.
✗
Group Policy objects are linked to the domain
Why it's wrong here
Group Policy is separate from Intune.
✓
Security baselines are configured and assigned in Intune endpoint security
Why this is correct
Directly manages baseline compliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Devices are registered in Microsoft 365 Defender portal
Why it's wrong here
Portal shows alerts, not baseline compliance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse onboarding to Defender for Endpoint (which enables security telemetry and threat detection) with the separate requirement of configuring and assigning Intune security baselines to enforce and report compliance.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Portal shows alerts, not baseline compliance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Intune security baselines are pre-configured groups of Windows settings based on industry best practices (e.g., Microsoft 365 security baselines). When assigned to a device, the Intune Management Extension applies the settings via the MDM policy CSP (Configuration Service Provider), and the device reports compliance status back to Intune through the same channel. This is distinct from Defender for Endpoint's vulnerability management, which assesses device risk but does not enforce or report on baseline compliance.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MD-102 question in full detail.
Prepare infrastructure for devices — This question tests Prepare infrastructure for devices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Security baselines are configured and assigned in Intune endpoint security — Option C is correct because Intune security baselines are the mechanism that defines and enforces security configuration policies on Windows devices. To report compliance with those baselines, the baselines must first be configured and assigned to the devices via Intune endpoint security. Without this assignment, devices have no baseline to compare against, and compliance reporting will not occur.
What should I do if I get this MD-102 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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