Question 1,235 of 1,639

Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender for Cloud →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct configuration method is to create an Azure Policy that assigns the Defender for Cloud pricing tier at the management group level. This works because Azure Policy can enforce compliance at scale—by assigning the built-in policy initiative “Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud plans to be enabled” to the management group, any new subscription added under that group automatically inherits the Standard pricing tier for plans like Defender for Servers, ensuring consistent security posture without manual setup. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of policy-based governance versus manual per-subscription configuration; a common trap is selecting Azure Blueprints or direct API calls, but Azure Policy is the only native method that continuously evaluates and remediates new subscriptions. Remember the tip: “Policy at the parent, protection for the child”—assigning policy at the management group level automatically covers all current and future subscriptions, making it the scalable, exam-correct answer.

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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.

An organization manages multiple Azure subscriptions under a single management group. They want to automatically enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud's enhanced security plans (e.g., Defender for Servers) on any new subscription added to the management group. Which configuration method should they use?

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Full question →

A
Create an Azure Policy that assigns the Defender for Cloud pricing tier at the management group level
Azure Policy can enforce the 'Pricing tier' setting at a scope. When new subscriptions are added under the management group, they automatically get the policy and the plan is enabled.
B
Enable auto-provisioning in Defender for Cloud's settings
Why wrong: Auto-provisioning installs the Log Analytics agent but does not enable the enhanced security plans themselves. It only addresses data collection.
C
Use Azure Blueprints to define the subscription configurations
Why wrong: Blueprints can assign policies, but they are typically used for consistent subscription creation, not for dynamic inheritance. Policy is simpler and more appropriate for this ongoing requirement.
D
Manually enable plans per subscription as they are added
Why wrong: Manual configuration is not scalable and defeats the purpose of automatic enforcement. It also increases the risk of human error.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Create an Azure Policy that assigns the Defender for Cloud pricing tier at the management group level

Option A is correct because Azure Policy can be assigned at the management group scope to enforce the 'Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud plans to be enabled' policy, which automatically sets the pricing tier (e.g., Standard) for Defender for Servers on any new subscription added to that management group. This ensures compliance without manual intervention, as the policy evaluates and remediates new subscriptions upon creation or addition.

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.

✓
Create an Azure Policy that assigns the Defender for Cloud pricing tier at the management group level
Why this is correct
Azure Policy can enforce the 'Pricing tier' setting at a scope. When new subscriptions are added under the management group, they automatically get the policy and the plan is enabled.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable auto-provisioning in Defender for Cloud's settings
Why it's wrong here
Auto-provisioning installs the Log Analytics agent but does not enable the enhanced security plans themselves. It only addresses data collection.
✗
Use Azure Blueprints to define the subscription configurations
Why it's wrong here
Blueprints can assign policies, but they are typically used for consistent subscription creation, not for dynamic inheritance. Policy is simpler and more appropriate for this ongoing requirement.
✗
Manually enable plans per subscription as they are added
Why it's wrong here
Manual configuration is not scalable and defeats the purpose of automatic enforcement. It also increases the risk of human error.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often confuse auto-provisioning (which installs agents) with policy-based enforcement of pricing tiers, leading them to select Option B instead of recognizing that Azure Policy at the management group level is the correct method for automatic, scalable plan activation.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, the Azure Policy 'Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud plans to be enabled' uses the 'Microsoft.Security/pricings' resource type with a 'Standard' tier value, and when assigned at the management group scope, it leverages policy remediation tasks to automatically apply the configuration to non-compliant subscriptions. A subtle behavior is that this policy can also be combined with 'deployIfNotExists' effects to automatically enable plans even on subscriptions that already exist but lack the proper pricing tier, ensuring full coverage across the management group hierarchy.

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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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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: Create an Azure Policy that assigns the Defender for Cloud pricing tier at the management group level — Option A is correct because Azure Policy can be assigned at the management group scope to enforce the 'Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud plans to be enabled' policy, which automatically sets the pricing tier (e.g., Standard) for Defender for Servers on any new subscription added to that management group. This ensures compliance without manual intervention, as the policy evaluates and remediates new subscriptions upon creation or addition.

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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Same concept, more angles

1 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 large organization manages multiple Azure subscriptions under a single management group. The security team wants to ensure that when new subscriptions are added to the management group, the Microsoft Defender for Cloud plans (e.g., Defender for Servers) are automatically enabled. What is the most efficient way to achieve this?

easy

✓ A.Assign the Azure Policy initiative 'Configure Azure Defender to be enabled on subscriptions' to the management group with appropriate policy parameters.
B.Enable all Microsoft Defender plans at the management group level in the Microsoft Defender for Cloud portal.
C.Manually enable the Defender plans on each new subscription as they are created.
D.Use an Azure Blueprint to assign the Defender plans to the subscription.

Why A: Option A is correct because assigning the built-in Azure Policy initiative 'Configure Azure Defender to be enabled on subscriptions' to the management group ensures that any new subscription added under that management group automatically inherits the policy. This initiative uses DeployIfNotExists effect to enable the specified Defender plans (e.g., Defender for Servers) on subscriptions that do not already have them enabled, providing a fully automated, scalable solution without manual intervention.

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