The correct answer is disabling password hash synchronization in Microsoft Entra Connect. This action directly reduces the Secure Score for Identity because Microsoft Defender for Identity relies on password hash sync (PHS) to correlate on-premises Active Directory credential exposure events with cloud authentication attempts. Without PHS, Defender for Identity cannot detect when leaked credentials are used against Azure AD, removing a key detection capability and causing the score to drop. On the MS-102 exam, this tests your understanding of how identity security controls depend on underlying sync settings—a common trap is assuming that disabling PHS improves security by reducing the attack surface, when in fact it blinds Defender for Identity to credential replay attacks. Remember the memory tip: “No hash sync, no correlation—your Secure Score takes a subtraction.”
MS-102 Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant Practice Question
This MS-102 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage a microsoft 365 tenant. 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 Identity and has enabled Microsoft Secure Score. You notice that the Secure Score for Identity has dropped significantly after a recent configuration change. Which action is most likely to have caused the decrease?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Disabling password hash synchronization in Microsoft Entra Connect.
Disabling password hash synchronization (PHS) in Microsoft Entra Connect removes the ability for Microsoft Defender for Identity to correlate on-premises Active Directory credential exposure events with cloud authentication attempts. Without PHS, Defender for Identity cannot detect when leaked credentials are used against Azure AD, causing the Secure Score for Identity to drop because key detection capabilities are no longer available.
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.
✗
Changing password expiration policy to 180 days.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: This has minimal impact on Secure Score for Identity.
✗
Enabling MFA for all users.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: MFA improves security posture and increases Secure Score.
✓
Disabling password hash synchronization in Microsoft Entra Connect.
Why this is correct
Correct: This reduces visibility for identity threat detection, lowering Secure Score.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Implementing a conditional access policy blocking legacy authentication.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: This is a security improvement that would increase Secure Score.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume disabling password hash synchronization is a security improvement (to avoid storing hashes in the cloud), but they overlook that Defender for Identity requires it for critical leaked credential detection, and Secure Score penalizes its absence.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Microsoft Secure Score for Identity relies on data from Defender for Identity sensors, which analyze on-premises Active Directory traffic and cloud signals. Password hash synchronization is required for the 'Leaked Credentials' detection—when a known compromised credential is used in Azure AD, Defender for Identity correlates it with the on-premises hash to alert. Without PHS, this correlation fails, and the corresponding security control in Secure Score (e.g., 'Ensure password hash sync is enabled') becomes non-compliant, directly reducing the score.
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.
Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant — This question tests Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Disabling password hash synchronization in Microsoft Entra Connect. — Disabling password hash synchronization (PHS) in Microsoft Entra Connect removes the ability for Microsoft Defender for Identity to correlate on-premises Active Directory credential exposure events with cloud authentication attempts. Without PHS, Defender for Identity cannot detect when leaked credentials are used against Azure AD, causing the Secure Score for Identity to drop because key detection capabilities are no longer available.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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