easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SC-200 Practice Question: A company uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud to…
A company uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud to protect Azure virtual machines. The security team wants to identify which VMs have missing system updates such as critical security patches. Which Defender for Cloud feature should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse vulnerability assessment (which identifies missing patches and misconfigurations) with adaptive application controls (which restricts application execution) or file integrity monitoring (which detects file changes), leading candidates to pick a feature that addresses a different security control objective.
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
✓
Vulnerability assessment
Vulnerability assessment in Microsoft Defender for Cloud scans Azure VMs for missing system updates, including critical security patches, by integrating with built-in or partner vulnerability scanners (e.g., Qualys). This feature provides a continuous assessment of OS and application vulnerabilities, directly addressing the need to identify VMs with missing patches.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Adaptive application controls
Why it's wrong here
Adaptive application controls represent a machine-learning-based, allowlisting capability in Microsoft Defender for Cloud that learns which applications are legitimate for a VM and can block execution of untrusted binaries or scripts. It is a preventive containment control designed to stop malware and unauthorized software, but it performs no analysis of the OS patch inventory or missing security updates. Because its operation is at the application execution level, it cannot identify outdated system components.
- ✗
Just-in-time VM access
Why it's wrong here
Just-in-time (JIT) VM access is a network-level security control in Microsoft Defender for Cloud that restricts inbound traffic to management ports like RDP and SSH, reducing the attack surface from internet exposure. Using network security groups, it opens ports temporarily only when an authorized request is made, but this does not involve inspecting the guest OS for installed updates. It mitigates one class of risk, but not the risk of unattended vulnerabilities that have no network exposure.
- ✓
Vulnerability assessment
Why this is correct
Vulnerability assessment in Microsoft Defender for Cloud uses an integrated scanner, like Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management or Qualys, to continuously inspect VMs for known CVEs, missing OS patches, and security misconfigurations. This scanner evaluates the guest operating system state and correlates findings against vulnerability intelligence to produce actionable recommendations such as 'Machines should have vulnerability findings resolved.' Therefore, it is the only listed option that directly identifies missing security updates and is the correct control for this scenario.
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File integrity monitoring
Why it's wrong here
File integrity monitoring (FIM) in Microsoft Defender for Cloud tracks changes to critical operating system files, registry keys, and software configuration by comparing current snapshots against a clean baseline. It is useful for detecting unauthorized modifications or suspicious deletions that may indicate compromise, but it does not maintain a list of required patches nor query the update catalog. Consequently, it cannot report whether a system update is absent; it reports only drift from a captured baseline.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SC-200 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-200 exam.