The correct answer is to enable Azure Backup with immutable storage and enable Microsoft Defender for Servers. Azure Backup’s immutable vaults prevent deletion or modification of backup data, ensuring recovery points remain intact even if an attacker compromises the environment, while Microsoft Defender for Servers provides continuous threat detection and alerts specifically for ransomware activity on your Azure VMs. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this pairing tests your understanding of layered defense: backup for recovery and detection for early warning. A common trap is confusing Azure Site Recovery, which handles disaster recovery failover but not point-in-time backup, with Azure Backup’s immutable snapshots. Another pitfall is assuming Azure Firewall or Azure Policy directly protect against ransomware—they enforce network rules and compliance, not backup or threat detection. Remember the mnemonic “Backup and Detect” to pair immutable backups with Defender for Servers, and you’ll avoid the recovery-versus-backup confusion.
SC-100 Design security solutions for infrastructure Practice Question
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security solutions for infrastructure. 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.
Which TWO actions should you take to protect Azure Virtual Machines from ransomware? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable Azure Backup with immutable vault.
Option A is correct because Azure Backup provides immutable backups that cannot be deleted, protecting against ransomware. Option C is correct because Microsoft Defender for Servers (in Defender for Cloud) provides threat detection and alerts for ransomware. Option B is wrong because Azure Site Recovery is for disaster recovery, not backup. Option D is wrong because Azure Firewall is a network firewall, not a backup or detection solution. Option E is wrong because Azure Policy enforces compliance, not direct ransomware protection.
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.
✗
Deploy Azure Firewall to block all inbound traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Firewall does not prevent ransomware from executing on the VM.
✗
Configure Azure Site Recovery for all VMs.
Why it's wrong here
Site Recovery is for DR, not backup; it does not protect against ransomware directly.
✓
Enable Azure Backup with immutable vault.
Why this is correct
Immutable backups prevent deletion and modification by ransomware.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Assign Azure Policy to require encryption at rest.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption does not prevent ransomware; it protects data confidentiality.
✓
Enable Microsoft Defender for Servers.
Why this is correct
Defender for Servers provides threat detection and alerts for ransomware.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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: Enable Azure Backup with immutable vault. — Option A is correct because Azure Backup provides immutable backups that cannot be deleted, protecting against ransomware. Option C is correct because Microsoft Defender for Servers (in Defender for Cloud) provides threat detection and alerts for ransomware. Option B is wrong because Azure Site Recovery is for disaster recovery, not backup. Option D is wrong because Azure Firewall is a network firewall, not a backup or detection solution. Option E is wrong because Azure Policy enforces compliance, not direct ransomware protection.
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.
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. Which TWO actions should you take to protect Azure Virtual Machines from ransomware attacks? (Choose two.)
medium
A.Configure Azure Firewall to block all outbound traffic.
✓ B.Enable Azure Backup for all VMs.
C.Use auto-shutdown schedules for VMs.
D.Disable RDP access from the internet.
✓ E.Deploy Microsoft Defender Antivirus with real-time protection.
Why B: Options A and C are correct. Option A: Backups (Azure Backup) are essential for recovery. Option C: Antimalware (Microsoft Defender Antivirus) helps prevent infection. Option B is wrong because disabling public RDP reduces attack surface but is not specific to ransomware. Option D is wrong because Azure Firewall is for network segmentation, not direct ransomware protection. Option E is wrong because auto-shutdown does not prevent ransomware.
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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