The answer is that devices must be onboarded to Microsoft Defender XDR to report their security configuration. This is because onboarding registers each device with the Defender for Endpoint service, establishing a trusted channel that enables the collection and forwarding of security telemetry to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal. Without this registration, the device remains isolated and cannot communicate its security state, regardless of any other integrations or policies applied. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this concept tests your understanding of the foundational data flow in a unified XDR architecture, often appearing in scenario-based questions where a candidate might mistakenly assume that simply deploying MDE or enabling a connector is sufficient. A common trap is thinking that integration settings alone handle reporting, when in fact device-level onboarding is the prerequisite. Remember the memory tip: “No onboard, no report—telemetry flows only after the handshake.”
SC-100 Practice Question: Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities. 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.
A company uses Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) and needs to ensure that all devices report their security configuration to Microsoft Defender XDR. Which setting should they verify?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Devices are onboarded to Microsoft Defender XDR
Devices must be onboarded to Microsoft Defender XDR to report their security configuration. Onboarding registers the device with the Defender for Endpoint service, enabling the collection and forwarding of security telemetry to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal. Without onboarding, the device cannot communicate its security state, regardless of other integrations.
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.
✗
Devices are enrolled in Microsoft Intune
Why it's wrong here
Intune manages devices but does not report security configurations to Defender XDR.
✗
Microsoft Sentinel is connected to Defender for Endpoint
Why it's wrong here
Sentinel ingests data, but the device reporting is to Defender XDR.
✗
Microsoft Purview Information Protection is enabled
Why it's wrong here
Purview is for data classification, not endpoint security reporting.
✓
Devices are onboarded to Microsoft Defender XDR
Why this is correct
Onboarding ensures devices report to the unified XDR experience.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Intune enrollment with Defender for Endpoint onboarding, but Intune only manages policies and compliance, while onboarding is the specific process that enables security telemetry reporting to Defender XDR.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Onboarding uses a sensor deployment package (e.g., a script or Group Policy) that installs the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint sensor and registers the device with the cloud service. The sensor then communicates via HTTPS to the Defender backend, sending telemetry such as antivirus status, firewall rules, and threat detections. If a device is not onboarded, it appears as 'Inactive' or 'Unmonitored' in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal, even if it is Intune-managed.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-100 question in full detail.
Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities — This question tests Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Devices are onboarded to Microsoft Defender XDR — Devices must be onboarded to Microsoft Defender XDR to report their security configuration. Onboarding registers the device with the Defender for Endpoint service, enabling the collection and forwarding of security telemetry to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal. Without onboarding, the device cannot communicate its security state, regardless of other integrations.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 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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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. A company is implementing Microsoft Purview to protect sensitive data in SharePoint Online. They need to automatically apply a 'Highly Confidential' label to documents that contain credit card numbers. What should they create?
easy
A.A communication compliance policy
B.A data loss prevention (DLP) rule
C.A manual labeling policy
✓ D.An auto-labeling policy for sensitivity labels
Why D: Option D is correct because Microsoft Purview auto-labeling policies for sensitivity labels can automatically detect sensitive data types (e.g., credit card numbers) in SharePoint Online documents and apply a 'Highly Confidential' label without user intervention. This meets the requirement for automatic, policy-driven labeling based on content inspection.
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Question Discussion
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