The answer is to enable the Defender for Cloud plans, such as Defender for Servers, on the Azure subscription and to deploy the Azure Arc agent on your on-premises servers. Enabling the plan on the subscription activates the necessary protections for Azure VMs, while the Azure Arc agent extends Azure’s management plane to non-Azure machines, allowing Defender for Cloud to apply the same security policies and threat detection to your on-premises workloads. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your understanding of hybrid security governance, specifically how to cover on-premises servers with Defender for Cloud without requiring a full migration. A common trap is assuming the foundational CSPN alone suffices, but it lacks server-specific protections, or thinking Azure Monitor agents are mandatory for basic coverage. Remember the two-step rule: plan first, Arc second—think of Arc as the bridge that brings on-premises servers into Defender’s view.
SC-100 Design security solutions for infrastructure Practice Question
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security solutions for infrastructure. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 is deploying Microsoft Defender for Cloud to secure a hybrid environment with workloads in Azure and on-premises. You need to ensure that all servers are covered by Defender for Cloud's plans. Which two actions should you take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Install the Azure Connected Machine agent (Azure Arc) on on-premises servers.
Option A is correct because enabling the appropriate Defender plans (e.g., Servers) on the Azure subscription covers Azure VMs. Option C is correct because deploying the Azure Arc agent on on-premises servers allows them to be managed by Defender for Cloud. Option B is wrong because enabling just the foundational CSPM doesn't include the server-specific protections. Option D is wrong because Defender for Cloud doesn't require Azure Monitor agents for basic coverage, though it's recommended for advanced features.
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.
✓
Install the Azure Connected Machine agent (Azure Arc) on on-premises servers.
Why this is correct
Brings on-premises servers under Defender for Cloud management.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable only the foundational cloud security posture management (CSPM) on the subscription.
Why it's wrong here
CSPM does not provide the advanced server protections.
✓
Enable the Defender for Cloud plans (e.g., Defender for Servers) on the Azure subscription.
Why this is correct
Enables coverage for Azure VMs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Deploy the Azure Monitor Agent to all on-premises servers.
Why it's wrong here
Not required for basic Defender for Cloud coverage.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-100 question in full detail.
Identify which SC-100 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.
Design security solutions for infrastructure — This question tests Design security solutions for infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Install the Azure Connected Machine agent (Azure Arc) on on-premises servers. — Option A is correct because enabling the appropriate Defender plans (e.g., Servers) on the Azure subscription covers Azure VMs. Option C is correct because deploying the Azure Arc agent on on-premises servers allows them to be managed by Defender for Cloud. Option B is wrong because enabling just the foundational CSPM doesn't include the server-specific protections. Option D is wrong because Defender for Cloud doesn't require Azure Monitor agents for basic coverage, though it's recommended for advanced features.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 question wrong?
Identify which SC-100 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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