The answer is to set the 'Threat level' in the Intune compliance policy to 'Low'. This configuration allows devices with low-risk threats detected by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to remain compliant, because the policy evaluates the highest active threat level against the defined threshold—setting it to 'Low' effectively permits low-severity detections while still blocking medium, high, and severe threats. On the MD-102 exam, this question tests your understanding of the Defender-Intune integration for compliance, often appearing as a scenario where devices show as non-compliant despite only having low-risk findings. A common trap is confusing this with Conditional Access or trying to whitelist specific threats, but the compliance policy’s threat level slider is the only control. Memory tip: think of the threat level as a “gate”—set it to Low to let the small stuff through while keeping the big threats out.
MD-102 Protect devices Practice Question
This MD-102 practice question tests your understanding of protect devices. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 (now part of Microsoft Defender XDR) to manage device threat detection. You have integrated Defender for Endpoint with Intune for compliance. Some devices are showing as non-compliant due to 'active threats' that are actually low-risk. How can you adjust the compliance policy to allow low-risk threats?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set the 'Threat level' in the Intune compliance policy to 'Low'.
Option C is correct because the Intune compliance policy for Defender for Endpoint has a 'Threat level' setting that can be set to 'Low' to allow low-risk threats. Option A is wrong because you cannot whitelist specific threats. Option B is wrong because it's not a Conditional Access policy setting. Option D is wrong because the threat level is configured in the compliance policy, not in Defender.
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.
✗
Modify the Conditional Access policy to require device compliance.
Why it's wrong here
Conditional Access does not control threat level.
✗
Configure the 'Machine risk score' in Defender for Endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
The risk score is used by Intune, but the compliance policy setting controls the threshold.
✗
Whitelist the specific threats in Defender for Endpoint.
Why it's wrong here
Whitelisting is not available for compliance.
✓
Set the 'Threat level' in the Intune compliance policy to 'Low'.
Why this is correct
This allows devices with low-risk threats to be compliant.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MD-102 question in full detail.
Identify which MD-102 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Protect devices — This question tests Protect devices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set the 'Threat level' in the Intune compliance policy to 'Low'. — Option C is correct because the Intune compliance policy for Defender for Endpoint has a 'Threat level' setting that can be set to 'Low' to allow low-risk threats. Option A is wrong because you cannot whitelist specific threats. Option B is wrong because it's not a Conditional Access policy setting. Option D is wrong because the threat level is configured in the compliance policy, not in Defender.
What should I do if I get this MD-102 question wrong?
Identify which MD-102 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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