- A
Deploy the Azure Security Center agent on the VM
Why wrong: The Azure Security Center agent (Log Analytics agent) is used for host monitoring but does not enable SQL-specific Advanced Threat Protection for SQL Server.
- B
Enable Azure Defender for SQL on the server
Azure Defender for SQL includes Advanced Threat Protection for SQL Server instances on VMs. It must be enabled either at the subscription level or per-server to start detecting threats like SQL injection.
- C
Enable Azure Defender for Servers
Why wrong: Defender for Servers provides threat protection for the VM OS, but does not include SQL-specific ATP. It is not sufficient for the requirement.
- D
Configure SQL Server auditing manually
Why wrong: Manual auditing can capture events but does not provide the automated threat detection and alerts of ATP. It also requires significant customization to detect patterns like SQL injection.
Quick Answer
The answer is to enable Azure Defender for SQL on the server. This is the correct first step because Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) for SQL Server on Azure VMs is not a standalone toggle; it is a capability delivered through the Azure Defender for SQL plan within Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Without activating this specific plan, the SQL Server instance on the VM remains invisible to Defender for Cloud’s SQL-focused threat detection engine, meaning no SQL injection alerts or anomalous access pattern monitoring will occur. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding that ATP for IaaS SQL is tied to a plan-level enablement, not a VM-level setting—a common trap is assuming you can enable ATP directly on the SQL Server or through the VM’s security blade. Remember, the plan must be enabled at the subscription or resource level before any SQL-specific alerts fire. Memory tip: think “Plan first, protect second”—Azure Defender for SQL is the gatekeeper that unlocks all SQL threat detection.
SC-200 Practice Question: Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender for Cloud
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of mitigate threats using microsoft defender for cloud. 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.
A company runs SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (IaaS). They want to enable Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) for these instances to detect SQL injection attempts. What must they do first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Enable Azure Defender for SQL on the server
Azure Defender for SQL is the specific plan within Microsoft Defender for Cloud that provides Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) for Azure SQL resources, including SQL Server on Azure VMs. Enabling this plan activates threat detection capabilities such as SQL injection alerts, anomalous access patterns, and vulnerability assessments. Without this plan, the VM's SQL Server instance is not monitored by Defender for Cloud's SQL-specific threat detection engine.
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 the Azure Security Center agent on the VM
Why it's wrong here
The Azure Security Center agent (Log Analytics agent) is used for host monitoring but does not enable SQL-specific Advanced Threat Protection for SQL Server.
- ✓
Enable Azure Defender for SQL on the server
Why this is correct
Azure Defender for SQL includes Advanced Threat Protection for SQL Server instances on VMs. It must be enabled either at the subscription level or per-server to start detecting threats like SQL injection.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable Azure Defender for Servers
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Servers provides threat protection for the VM OS, but does not include SQL-specific ATP. It is not sufficient for the requirement.
- ✗
Configure SQL Server auditing manually
Why it's wrong here
Manual auditing can capture events but does not provide the automated threat detection and alerts of ATP. It also requires significant customization to detect patterns like SQL injection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Azure Defender for Servers (which protects the OS) with Azure Defender for SQL (which protects the database engine), leading them to select the server-level plan when the question specifically asks for SQL injection detection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Azure Defender for SQL on IaaS VMs leverages the SQL IaaS Agent extension to stream SQL audit logs and performance data to the Defender for Cloud backend, where machine learning models analyze query patterns for anomalies like SQL injection. A subtle behavior is that the SQL IaaS Agent extension must be registered with the Azure platform even if the VM is not part of a SQL Server VM resource group; otherwise, Defender for SQL cannot ingest the necessary telemetry. In a real-world scenario, a company might enable Azure Defender for Servers and wonder why SQL injection alerts never fire—this is because SQL-specific threat detection is a separate plan that must be explicitly enabled at the subscription or resource level.
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 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender for Cloud — This question tests Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender for Cloud — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Azure Defender for SQL on the server — Azure Defender for SQL is the specific plan within Microsoft Defender for Cloud that provides Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) for Azure SQL resources, including SQL Server on Azure VMs. Enabling this plan activates threat detection capabilities such as SQL injection alerts, anomalous access patterns, and vulnerability assessments. Without this plan, the VM's SQL Server instance is not monitored by Defender for Cloud's SQL-specific threat detection engine.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SC-200
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 has several Azure virtual machines running SQL Server (IaaS). The security team wants to enable Advanced Threat Protection for these SQL Server instances to detect threats like SQL injection. What should they do?
medium- ✓ A.Deploy the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension on each VM and enable Azure Defender for SQL in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- B.Enable Azure Defender for Servers on the subscription; it automatically protects SQL Server workloads.
- C.Enable Azure Defender for SQL on the Log Analytics workspace used by the VMs.
- D.Configure the Microsoft Sentinel SQL connector to ingest SQL audit logs.
Why A: To enable Advanced Threat Protection for SQL Server IaaS, you must deploy the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension on each VM, which allows the VM to register with the SQL IaaS platform. Then, you enable Azure Defender for SQL in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, which provides threat detection for SQL injection and other anomalous activities. This combination ensures the SQL Server instances are monitored by Defender for Cloud's SQL-specific protections.
Variation 2. A company runs SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (IaaS). The security team wants to enable Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) to detect threats like SQL injection against these SQL Server instances. Which single action is required to achieve this?
easy- ✓ A.Enable Microsoft Defender for SQL on the Azure subscription or at the SQL Server resource level.
- B.Install the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension on each virtual machine.
- C.Enable just Microsoft Defender for Servers on the subscription.
- D.Configure an Azure SQL firewall rule to allow only trusted IP addresses.
Why A: To enable Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) for SQL Server on Azure VMs, you must enable Microsoft Defender for SQL at the Azure subscription or SQL Server resource level. This activates the SQL-specific threat detection capabilities, including alerts for SQL injection, anomalous access patterns, and suspicious activities. Without this, the SQL Server instances lack the dedicated security monitoring that ATP provides.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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