The answer is Conditional Access App Control (CAAC), which must be configured in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps to block downloads of sensitive files from Salesforce to unmanaged devices in real time. CAAC works by integrating with Azure AD Conditional Access policies and using a reverse proxy architecture to inspect and intervene in user sessions as they happen, allowing it to enforce granular controls like blocking file downloads the moment a user attempts them from an unmanaged device. On the MS-102 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Defender for Cloud Apps components differ—specifically, that session policies (powered by CAAC) provide real-time blocking, whereas app discovery or cloud discovery only report on usage. A common trap is confusing CAAC with app connector policies, which apply API-based controls after the fact, not in real time. Remember the memory tip: “CAAC catches it as it happens—reverse proxy, real-time blocking.”
MS-102 Practice Question: Manage security and threats by using Microsoft Defender XDR
This MS-102 practice question tests your understanding of manage security and threats by using microsoft defender xdr. 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.
A security administrator wants to configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps to block downloads of sensitive files from Salesforce to unmanaged devices in real time. Which Defender for Cloud Apps component must be configured?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conditional Access App Control
Conditional Access App Control (CAAC) is the correct component because it enables real-time session-level monitoring and control of user activities in SaaS apps like Salesforce. By integrating with Azure AD Conditional Access, CAAC can enforce policies to block downloads of sensitive files to unmanaged devices at the moment of access, using reverse proxy architecture to inspect and intervene in the traffic.
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.
✗
Cloud Discovery
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Discovery identifies cloud app usage but does not provide real-time blocking.
✗
App Connectors
Why it's wrong here
App Connectors provide API-based governance, not real-time session control.
✓
Conditional Access App Control
Why this is correct
Conditional Access App Control uses a reverse proxy to monitor and control sessions in real time, enabling block actions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Activity policies
Why it's wrong here
Activity policies trigger alerts and can automatically take actions like suspend user, but not real-time block in session.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse App Connectors (API-based governance) with Conditional Access App Control (proxy-based real-time control), assuming both can block downloads in real time, but only the reverse proxy can intercept and block actions during the session.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Conditional Access App Control works as a reverse proxy: when a user accesses Salesforce, traffic is routed through Defender for Cloud Apps, which inspects HTTP requests and responses. The policy can check device compliance (e.g., via Intune) and block download requests by stripping the file or returning an HTTP 403 error, all within the same session without requiring a client agent. A real-world nuance: CAAC policies can also be scoped to specific file sensitivity labels (e.g., 'Highly Confidential') using Microsoft Information Protection integration, ensuring only high-risk data is blocked.
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 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 MS-102 question in full detail.
Manage security and threats by using Microsoft Defender XDR — This question tests Manage security and threats by using Microsoft Defender XDR — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conditional Access App Control — Conditional Access App Control (CAAC) is the correct component because it enables real-time session-level monitoring and control of user activities in SaaS apps like Salesforce. By integrating with Azure AD Conditional Access, CAAC can enforce policies to block downloads of sensitive files to unmanaged devices at the moment of access, using reverse proxy architecture to inspect and intervene in the traffic.
What should I do if I get this MS-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.
About these practice questions
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Variation 1. A security administrator wants to configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps so that when a user accesses a sensitive file in a sanctioned cloud app from an unmanaged device, the user is blocked from downloading the file and a block action is logged in real time. Which type of policy should the administrator configure?
hard
✓ A.Create a session policy with the action 'Block' on the download action for files with a specific sensitivity label
B.Create a file policy that monitors for sensitive files being accessed from unmanaged devices and generates an alert
C.Configure an access policy that blocks access to the cloud app from unmanaged devices
D.Configure an activity policy that monitors download activities from unmanaged devices and triggers automatic remediation
Why A: A session policy in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps allows real-time control over user activities within a sanctioned cloud app. By configuring the action 'Block' on the download action for files with a specific sensitivity label, the administrator can block the download when the session is initiated from an unmanaged device, and the block action is logged in real time. This meets the requirement of blocking the download and logging the action simultaneously.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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