The answer is Adaptive application controls (AAC) in Microsoft Defender for Cloud. This feature is the correct choice because it uses machine learning to establish a baseline of allowed scripts and executables on your Azure VMs, then continuously monitors for deviations—such as an unauthorized PowerShell script execution from the internet—and generates security alerts when a VM violates that baseline. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between Defender for Cloud’s workload protection features; a common trap is confusing AAC with just-in-time VM access or file integrity monitoring, which do not control script execution. Remember that AAC is specifically designed to block script execution by enforcing allowlists, not just detecting changes. A useful memory tip: think of AAC as the “app control” that says “no” to scripts from the wild, keeping your VMs on a strict script diet.
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 security team needs to enforce that all Azure virtual machines have a specific custom script execution baseline (e.g., block PowerShell from executing scripts from the internet). They want to use Microsoft Defender for Cloud to continuously monitor and alert when a VM deviates from this baseline. Which feature should they use?
Why wrong: JIT controls inbound network access to VMs, not script execution behavior.
B
Adaptive application controls
This feature allows you to define allowlists and blocklists for applications and scripts, and alerts on any deviation, such as a PowerShell script from the internet being executed.
C
Regulatory compliance dashboard
Why wrong: The dashboard shows compliance posture against standards like CIS or Azure Security Benchmark, but does not enforce application baselines.
D
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
Why wrong: FIM monitors changes to files and registries, not script execution behavior.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Adaptive application controls
Adaptive application controls (AAC) in Microsoft Defender for Cloud allow you to define allowlists for applications and scripts that can run on your Azure VMs. By configuring AAC to block PowerShell scripts from the internet, the service uses machine learning to establish a baseline of allowed executables and scripts, then continuously monitors for deviations—such as an unauthorized PowerShell script execution—and generates security alerts. This directly meets the requirement for continuous monitoring and alerting on custom script execution baselines.
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.
✗
Just-In-Time VM Access (JIT)
Why it's wrong here
JIT controls inbound network access to VMs, not script execution behavior.
✓
Adaptive application controls
Why this is correct
This feature allows you to define allowlists and blocklists for applications and scripts, and alerts on any deviation, such as a PowerShell script from the internet being executed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Regulatory compliance dashboard
Why it's wrong here
The dashboard shows compliance posture against standards like CIS or Azure Security Benchmark, but does not enforce application baselines.
✗
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
Why it's wrong here
FIM monitors changes to files and registries, not script execution behavior.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) with script execution control, but FIM only monitors file and registry changes, not the execution behavior of scripts or applications.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The dashboard shows compliance posture against standards like CIS or Azure Security Benchmark, but does not enforce application baselines.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Adaptive application controls work by analyzing processes and file hashes from the Microsoft Monitoring Agent (MMA) or Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) to build a baseline of trusted executables and scripts per VM group. When a script like a PowerShell download cradle (e.g., `IEX (New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://...')`) is executed, AAC compares it against the allowlist and triggers an alert if it is not permitted. In real-world scenarios, attackers often use PowerShell to download and execute payloads from the internet, making AAC a critical defense-in-depth control for preventing such attacks.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
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: Adaptive application controls — Adaptive application controls (AAC) in Microsoft Defender for Cloud allow you to define allowlists for applications and scripts that can run on your Azure VMs. By configuring AAC to block PowerShell scripts from the internet, the service uses machine learning to establish a baseline of allowed executables and scripts, then continuously monitors for deviations—such as an unauthorized PowerShell script execution—and generates security alerts. This directly meets the requirement for continuous monitoring and alerting on custom script execution baselines.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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