The answer is reconnaissance attacks using LDAP queries, lateral movement paths, and privilege escalation. Defender for Identity monitors these specific on-premises Active Directory activities because they represent the core stages of a cyberattack chain: reconnaissance via LDAP queries reveals how attackers map the environment, lateral movement paths show potential routes to high-value accounts, and privilege escalation indicates an attempt to gain elevated access. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish Defender for Identity’s scope from other Microsoft security tools—a common trap is confusing it with file integrity monitoring (Defender for Servers) or network traffic monitoring (Defender for Network). Remember that Defender for Identity is laser-focused on identity-based attack behaviors within AD, not files or internet traffic. A helpful memory tip: think “R-L-P” for Recon, Lateral movement, Privilege escalation—the three pillars of identity threat detection.
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 implementing Microsoft Defender for Identity to protect on-premises Active Directory. Which THREE activities does Defender for Identity monitor?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Privilege escalation attempts
Option A, C, and D are correct. Defender for Identity monitors lateral movement paths, reconnaissance attacks, and privilege escalation. Option B is wrong because file integrity monitoring is a feature of Defender for Servers or Azure Policy. Option E is wrong because network traffic to internet is monitored by Defender for Network or network security groups.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Privilege escalation attempts
Why this is correct
Defender for Identity monitors for privilege escalation.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✓
Lateral movement paths using Pass-the-Hash
Why this is correct
Defender for Identity detects lateral movement techniques.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
File integrity changes on domain controllers
Why it's wrong here
File integrity monitoring is not a primary Defender for Identity feature.
✓
Reconnaissance attacks using LDAP queries
Why this is correct
Defender for Identity detects reconnaissance activities.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
Network traffic to external IP addresses
Why it's wrong here
Network traffic monitoring is outside Defender for Identity scope.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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 SC-100 question in full detail.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SC-100 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Design security solutions for infrastructure — This question tests Design security solutions for infrastructure — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Privilege escalation attempts — Option A, C, and D are correct. Defender for Identity monitors lateral movement paths, reconnaissance attacks, and privilege escalation. Option B is wrong because file integrity monitoring is a feature of Defender for Servers or Azure Policy. Option E is wrong because network traffic to internet is monitored by Defender for Network or network security groups.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SC-100 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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. Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) to protect on-premises Active Directory. You need to integrate MDI with Microsoft Sentinel to centralize detection and response. What is the required configuration?
medium
A.Deploy the MDI sensor on an Azure VM to send data to Sentinel.
B.Integrate Microsoft Entra ID Protection with Sentinel instead.
✓ C.Enable the Microsoft Defender for Identity data connector in Microsoft Sentinel.
D.Configure MDI to forward logs to a Syslog server, then use the Syslog connector in Sentinel.
Why C: Option A is correct because the MDI data connector in Sentinel enables ingestion of MDI alerts. Option B is wrong because MDI does not use Syslog for its native alerts; it uses a specific connector. Option C is wrong because Azure AD Identity Protection is for cloud identities, not on-premises AD. Option D is wrong because the MDI sensor is already deployed on-premises; no need to deploy it in Azure.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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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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