Quick Answer
The answer is to use the built-in Defender for Cloud recommendation for JIT access. This is correct because Microsoft Defender for Cloud includes a native security recommendation that continuously assesses your virtual machines against the just-in-time access policy, automatically generating an alert whenever a VM is deployed without JIT enabled—no custom rules or manual logic required. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Defender for Cloud’s built-in recommendations serve as automated compliance monitors, rather than requiring you to build custom alert rules in Azure Monitor or Sentinel. A common trap is assuming you need to create an Azure Policy or a custom KQL query, but the exam expects you to recognize that the JIT recommendation itself handles both assessment and alerting. Memory tip: think of it as “recommendation as alert”—if Defender for Cloud already flags it, you don’t need to reinvent the detection.
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud to manage the security posture of Azure resources. You need to receive alerts when a virtual machine is deployed without just-in-time (JIT) access enabled. What should you do?
Create a custom alert rule in Microsoft Sentinel
Why wrong: The recommendation is built into Defender for Cloud.
Configure JIT access on the VM and monitor via activity logs
Why wrong: Activity logs require manual setup.
Enable JIT access on all VMs
Why wrong: Enabling JIT doesn't alert on missing JIT.
Use the built-in Defender for Cloud recommendation for JIT access
The recommendation alerts on non-compliance.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use the built-in Defender for Cloud recommendation for JIT access
The correct answer is D because Microsoft Defender for Cloud provides a built-in security recommendation specifically for just-in-time (JIT) VM access. This recommendation continuously assesses your VMs and generates an alert when a VM is deployed without JIT enabled, without requiring custom rules or manual configuration. It directly addresses the requirement to receive alerts for non-compliant VMs.
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.
Create a custom alert rule in Microsoft Sentinel
Why it's wrong here
The recommendation is built into Defender for Cloud.
Configure JIT access on the VM and monitor via activity logs
Why it's wrong here
Activity logs require manual setup.
Enable JIT access on all VMs
Why it's wrong here
Enabling JIT doesn't alert on missing JIT.
Use the built-in Defender for Cloud recommendation for JIT access
Why this is correct
The recommendation alerts on non-compliance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often overcomplicate the solution by thinking they need a custom alert rule in Sentinel (Option A) or manual monitoring (Option B), when Defender for Cloud's built-in recommendation already provides the required alerting capability without additional tools.
Detailed technical explanation
Defender for Cloud's JIT recommendation (e.g., 'Management ports of virtual machines should be protected with just-in-time network access control') is part of the Azure Security Benchmark. It uses the Azure Policy engine to evaluate VM configurations against the recommendation and surfaces non-compliant resources in the security dashboard. Alerts can be configured via the 'Security alerts' settings to notify when a VM is deployed without JIT, leveraging the built-in assessment without custom logic.
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: Use the built-in Defender for Cloud recommendation for JIT access — The correct answer is D because Microsoft Defender for Cloud provides a built-in security recommendation specifically for just-in-time (JIT) VM access. This recommendation continuously assesses your VMs and generates an alert when a VM is deployed without JIT enabled, without requiring custom rules or manual configuration. It directly addresses the requirement to receive alerts for non-compliant VMs.
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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