This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of mitigate threats using microsoft sentinel. 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 security analyst is configuring a Microsoft Sentinel workspace. The analyst needs to connect a third-party firewall that sends logs via Syslog and supports a common event format (CEF). Which data connector should the analyst use to ingest these logs?
Common Event Format (CEF) via AMA
This connector ingests CEF-formatted logs from syslog sources.
Windows Security Events via AMA
Why wrong: This connector ingests Windows security events, not CEF syslog.
Azure Activity Log
Why wrong: This connector ingests Azure platform logs, not firewall logs.
Office 365 connector
Why wrong: This connector ingests Office 365 logs, not firewall logs.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Common Event Format (CEF) via AMA
The Common Event Format (CEF) via AMA data connector is specifically designed to ingest logs from security appliances that send Syslog messages in CEF format. CEF is an industry-standard format that allows firewalls and other devices to send structured event data, and the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) replaces the older Log Analytics Agent for this purpose. This connector parses the CEF headers and maps the fields to the appropriate Microsoft Sentinel tables, enabling efficient threat detection and analysis.
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.
Common Event Format (CEF) via AMA
Why this is correct
This connector ingests CEF-formatted logs from syslog sources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Windows Security Events via AMA
Why it's wrong here
This connector ingests Windows security events, not CEF syslog.
Azure Activity Log
Why it's wrong here
This connector ingests Azure platform logs, not firewall logs.
Office 365 connector
Why it's wrong here
This connector ingests Office 365 logs, not firewall logs.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the older Log Analytics Agent (which also supports CEF) with the newer AMA-based connector, or mistakenly think that any Syslog connector can handle CEF without the specific parsing logic, leading them to choose a generic Syslog option not listed here.
Detailed technical explanation
CEF uses a specific syslog header format defined by ArcSight, with fields like 'CEF:0|Vendor|Product|Version|SignatureID|Name|Severity|Extension' followed by key-value pairs. The AMA-based connector uses a data collection rule (DCR) to define the syslog facility and severity filters, and it automatically parses the CEF extension into the 'CommonSecurityLog' table in Sentinel. In real-world deployments, you must ensure the firewall is configured to send logs to the AMA's syslog port (typically UDP 514 or TCP 25226) and that the DCR includes the correct facility (e.g., 'local4') to match the device's output.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
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FAQ
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel — This question tests Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Common Event Format (CEF) via AMA — The Common Event Format (CEF) via AMA data connector is specifically designed to ingest logs from security appliances that send Syslog messages in CEF format. CEF is an industry-standard format that allows firewalls and other devices to send structured event data, and the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) replaces the older Log Analytics Agent for this purpose. This connector parses the CEF headers and maps the fields to the appropriate Microsoft Sentinel tables, enabling efficient threat detection and analysis.
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 11, 2026
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