Quick Answer
The answer is Microsoft Defender for Office 365, Microsoft Defender for Identity, and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Defender XDR ingests these three core data sources to correlate signals across email, identity, and endpoint layers, enabling cross-domain threat detection. For example, Defender for Identity pulls authentication events and domain controller logs to detect attacks like Kerberoasting, while Defender for Endpoint provides process and network telemetry, and Defender for Office 365 supplies email and phishing data. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this question tests your understanding of the XDR architecture’s native integration—a common trap is listing standalone products like Azure AD or Microsoft Sentinel as data sources, which are not part of the core XDR ingestion pipeline. Remember the mnemonic “EIO” (Endpoint, Identity, Office) to recall the three pillars, and note that Defender XDR does not directly ingest cloud app signals from Defender for Cloud Apps; instead, it receives those via the identity and endpoint feeds.
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An organization uses Microsoft Defender XDR to detect and respond to threats. Which THREE data sources does Defender XDR ingest? (Choose three.)
Microsoft Defender for Identity
Identity-based threat signals.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Endpoint detection and response signals.
Microsoft Sentinel
Why wrong: Sentinel is a SIEM, not a data source for Defender XDR.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Email and collaboration security signals.
Microsoft Intune
Why wrong: Device management, not threat signals.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Microsoft Defender for Identity
Microsoft Defender XDR ingests signals from Microsoft Defender for Identity to correlate on-premises Active Directory activities with cloud-based threats. This integration allows Defender XDR to detect identity-based attacks like Kerberoasting or pass-the-hash by analyzing domain controller logs and authentication events.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Microsoft Defender for Identity
Why this is correct
Identity-based threat signals.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Why this is correct
Endpoint detection and response signals.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Microsoft Sentinel
Why it's wrong here
Sentinel is a SIEM, not a data source for Defender XDR.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Why this is correct
Email and collaboration security signals.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Microsoft Intune
Why it's wrong here
Device management, not threat signals.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Microsoft Sentinel as a data source for Defender XDR, when in reality Sentinel is a SIEM that consumes data from Defender XDR, not the reverse.
Detailed technical explanation
Defender XDR uses a unified correlation engine that merges signals from Defender for Identity (via domain controller replication traffic), Defender for Endpoint (via EDR sensors on endpoints), and Defender for Office 365 (via Exchange Online and SharePoint audit logs). This cross-domain correlation enables detection of multi-stage attacks, such as an initial phishing email (Office 365) leading to credential theft (Identity) and lateral movement (Endpoint), all within a single incident timeline.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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FAQ
Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities — This question tests Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Microsoft Defender for Identity — Microsoft Defender XDR ingests signals from Microsoft Defender for Identity to correlate on-premises Active Directory activities with cloud-based threats. This integration allows Defender XDR to detect identity-based attacks like Kerberoasting or pass-the-hash by analyzing domain controller logs and authentication events.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This SC-100 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SC-100 exam.
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