The answer is Azure Arc on the on-premises servers. This is correct because Azure Arc extends Azure’s management plane to non-Azure resources, allowing on-premises VMs to be registered as Azure-connected machines. Once connected, these servers can be onboarded to Microsoft Defender for Cloud, which then applies its built-in security misconfiguration assessments—such as those from the Microsoft cloud security benchmark—to the on-premises workloads. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this question tests your understanding of how hybrid security requires a bridging technology; a common trap is assuming that simply enabling Defender for Cloud or deploying the Log Analytics agent alone is sufficient, but without Azure Arc, Defender for Cloud cannot manage or assess on-premises VMs. Remember: no Arc, no assessment—think of Azure Arc as the “on-ramp” that brings on-premises servers into Defender for Cloud’s visibility.
SC-100 Design security solutions for infrastructure Practice Question
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security solutions for infrastructure. 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 secure a hybrid environment. You need to ensure that virtual machines running on-premises are assessed for security misconfigurations. What should you deploy?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure Arc on the on-premises servers
Azure Arc enables Azure management services, including Defender for Cloud, to be extended to on-premises servers. Option A is correct because Arc-connected machines can be onboarded to Defender for Cloud for assessment. Option B is incorrect because Azure Policy alone does not perform assessments. Option C is incorrect because Log Analytics agent without Arc does not integrate with Defender for Cloud assessments. Option D is incorrect because just enabling Defender for Cloud does not cover on-premises VMs without Arc.
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.
✗
Log Analytics agent on the on-premises servers
Why it's wrong here
Agent alone does not enable Defender for Cloud assessments without Arc.
✗
Microsoft Defender for Cloud's Vulnerability Assessment solution
Why it's wrong here
Assessments require the resource to be in Azure; on-premises need Arc first.
✓
Azure Arc on the on-premises servers
Why this is correct
Azure Arc connects on-premises servers to Azure, enabling Defender for Cloud assessments.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Azure Policy guest configuration
Why it's wrong here
Guest configuration applies configurations but not security assessments by Defender for Cloud.
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: Azure Arc on the on-premises servers — Azure Arc enables Azure management services, including Defender for Cloud, to be extended to on-premises servers. Option A is correct because Arc-connected machines can be onboarded to Defender for Cloud for assessment. Option B is incorrect because Azure Policy alone does not perform assessments. Option C is incorrect because Log Analytics agent without Arc does not integrate with Defender for Cloud assessments. Option D is incorrect because just enabling Defender for Cloud does not cover on-premises VMs without Arc.
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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