Enabling and Accessing Audit Logs for Power BI
You need to audit Power BI activities such as viewing reports, sharing dashboards, and exporting data. Which TWO actions should you take to enable and access audit logs? (Choose two.)
Quick Answer
Enabling the 'Create audit logs for Power BI activities' tenant setting in the admin portal is the necessary first step because Power BI doesn't log activities like viewing reports, sharing dashboards, or exporting data by default; auditing has to be explicitly turned on before any of those actions start being recorded at all. Once that setting is enabled, the second required action is retrieving the logged activity from where it's actually stored, the Microsoft 365 compliance portal rather than anywhere inside Power BI itself, since Power BI activity logging plugs into the same underlying audit infrastructure used across Microsoft 365. Together these two steps cover the full path from nothing being recorded to being able to review what happened: turn logging on, then go to the compliance portal to see the results. The other tools named in scenarios like this solve different problems -- Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps can integrate with audit data but isn't the primary place logs live, there's no built-in feature to export Power BI logs straight to CSV, and Azure Monitor diagnostic settings apply to Azure resources rather than Power BI activity. When a question involves enabling and then retrieving a Microsoft 365 or Power BI audit trail, expect the answer to split into exactly these two steps: turn on logging, then read it from the compliance portal.
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
✓
Access the audit log from the Microsoft 365 compliance portal.
To audit Power BI activities, you must first enable audit logging by turning on the 'Create audit logs for Power BI activities' tenant setting in the Power BI admin portal (option C). Once enabled, you can access the audit logs from the Microsoft 365 compliance portal (option B). Option A is incorrect because Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps is not the primary location for audit logs; it can integrate but is not required. Option D is incorrect because Power BI does not have an export feature for audit logs to CSV; you can export from the compliance portal. Option E is incorrect because Azure Monitor diagnostic settings are for Azure resources, not for Power BI audit logs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps to forward logs to Microsoft Sentinel.
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Cloud Apps can ingest logs, but it is not the source of audit logs.
- ✓
Access the audit log from the Microsoft 365 compliance portal.
Why this is correct
Audit logs are stored and accessible in the Microsoft 365 compliance portal.
- ✓
Enable the 'Create audit logs for Power BI activities' tenant setting in the admin portal.
Why this is correct
This setting enables auditing for Power BI activities.
- ✗
Use the 'Export' feature in Power BI to export audit logs to a CSV file.
Why it's wrong here
Power BI does not have an export feature for audit logs.
- ✗
Set up a diagnostic setting in Azure Monitor to collect Power BI logs.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Monitor does not collect Power BI audit logs directly.
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Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on PL-300
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You are a Power BI administrator. You need to audit all activities related to sharing reports and dashboards in the Power BI service. Which tool should you use?
hard- A.Microsoft Purview compliance portal audit log
- B.Azure diagnostic settings for Power BI
- ✓ C.Power BI activity log (via admin API or portal)
- D.Microsoft Sentinel
Why C: The Power BI activity log provides a comprehensive record of all user activities within the Power BI service, including sharing reports and dashboards. Option A (Microsoft Purview compliance portal audit log) can capture some Power BI activities but is less specific and may not include all sharing events. Option B (Azure diagnostic settings) exports telemetry data to other destinations and is not designed for direct auditing of user actions. Option D (Microsoft Sentinel) is a SIEM tool that can ingest logs but is not the primary tool for auditing Power BI activities. The Power BI activity log is the correct choice as it is purpose-built for auditing Power BI user activities.
Variation 2. An administrator wants to monitor all Power BI activities, including viewing reports, exporting data, and sharing workspaces. Which tool should they use?
easy- ✓ A.Power BI activity log in the admin portal
- B.Power BI usage metrics report
- C.Power BI capacity metrics app
- D.Microsoft 365 audit log
Why A: The Power BI activity log captures user activities such as viewing, exporting, and sharing. Option B is wrong because the usage metrics report shows aggregate usage, not detailed activities. Option C is wrong because the Power BI capacity metrics app focuses on performance and capacity metrics, not user activities. Option D is wrong because the Microsoft 365 audit log is broader but less specific to Power BI; the activity log is the dedicated tool.
Variation 3. You need to audit Power BI activity for compliance. Which tool should you use to access detailed logs of user actions?
easy- A.Microsoft Defender XDR
- ✓ B.Microsoft Purview compliance portal (Audit)
- C.Microsoft Purview Data Map
- D.Power BI Premium capacity metrics app
Why B: Microsoft Purview compliance portal (Audit) provides unified audit logs that capture detailed user actions in Power BI, such as viewing reports, creating dashboards, and accessing data. Option A is incorrect because Microsoft Defender XDR is primarily used for threat detection and security monitoring, not for compliance auditing of user actions. Option C is incorrect because Microsoft Purview Data Map is designed for data cataloging and mapping, not for auditing user activities. Option D is incorrect because the Power BI Premium capacity metrics app is used to monitor performance and capacity utilization, not to access detailed audit logs of user actions.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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