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SC-200 Practice Question: A security team needs to enforce that all Azure…
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers 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.
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
✓
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.
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
Just-In-Time VM Access (JIT) is a Microsoft Defender for Cloud network-level control that temporarily opens attacker-specified ports, such as RDP 3389 or SSH 22, via NSG/ASG rule adjustments after an authenticated request or approval flow. It reduces the VM's internet-facing attack surface but has no visibility into or enforcement over what processes or scripts execute inside the guest operating system. Thus, JIT cannot block an internet-downloaded PowerShell script from running, since script execution behavior is entirely outside the network-layer scope that JIT controls.
- ✓
Adaptive application controls
Why this is correct
Adaptive application controls is the correct control because it is a runtime host-based allowlisting solution in Microsoft Defender for Cloud that builds a machine-generated baseline of trusted applications and scripts for each VM. Using machine learning, it whitelists known-safe executables and script behavior patterns, then both audits and, when configured to 'Deny' mode, blocks unapproved executables or scripts—such as a PowerShell payload retrieved from the internet—at the moment of execution. This provides the precise enforcement mechanism needed to keep unauthorized scripts from running on Azure VMs.
- ✗
Regulatory compliance dashboard
Why it's wrong here
The regulatory compliance dashboard is a reporting view inside Microsoft Defender for Cloud that aggregates policy assessment results from Azure Policy and shows how the environment aligns with standards like CIS 1.x, NIST SP 800-53, or the Azure Security Benchmark. It delivers a continuous compliance score and related recommendations, but it is purely an assessment and visibility tool; it neither modifies runtime behavior nor enforces application allowlisting. Consequently, while a compliance initiative might surface a gap such as 'no adaptive application controls enabled,' the dashboard itself cannot prevent a downloaded script from executing on a VM.
- ✗
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
Why it's wrong here
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) is a change-detection mechanism that hashes and snapshots critical files, directories, and registry keys against a baseline, then alerts when content changes—for example, when a script file is added or modified. It does not evaluate or intercept scripts as they spawn in memory, and it cannot block or allow an executing process; a malicious PowerShell script may download and run before FIM ever observes a file alteration. Therefore, FIM is a forensic and alerting control, not an application or script execution control, so it fails to enforce the requested runtime baseline.
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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.