The correct additional step is to enable the 'DeployIfNotExists' policy effect for specific security recommendations. While enabling 'Auto provisioning' for the Log Analytics agent handles agent deployment, it does not trigger automatic remediation for non-compliant resources; that requires a separate Azure Policy assignment with the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect, which automatically deploys a remediation task when a resource is found non-compliant. On the SC-200 exam, this tests your understanding of the distinction between provisioning tools and policy-driven remediation—a common trap is assuming auto provisioning covers all remediation. Remember that 'DeployIfNotExists' is the engine for automatic fixes, not just monitoring. For a memory tip, think "Provision installs, DeployIfNotExists fixes."
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. 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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud and you need to ensure that security recommendations are automatically remediated for non-compliant resources. You have enabled 'Auto provisioning' for the Log Analytics agent. What additional step is required to enable automatic remediation?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable the 'DeployIfNotExists' policy for specific recommendations
Option C is correct because enabling 'Auto provisioning' for the Log Analytics agent only ensures the agent is installed on VMs, but does not automatically remediate security recommendations. To achieve automatic remediation, you must enable the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect on specific Azure Policy definitions (e.g., 'System updates should be installed on your machines'), which triggers remediation tasks when resources are non-compliant. This is a separate step in Defender for Cloud's 'Security policy' blade under 'Settings & monitoring'.
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.
✗
No additional step is required; auto provisioning automatically remediates
Why it's wrong here
Auto provisioning only installs agents.
✗
Configure manual remediation in Defender for Cloud
Why it's wrong here
Manual remediation requires human action.
✓
Enable the 'DeployIfNotExists' policy for specific recommendations
Why this is correct
DeployIfNotExists policies can automatically remediate non-compliant resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a custom Azure Policy initiative with audit effect
Why it's wrong here
Audit effect only audits, does not remediate.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'Auto provisioning' (which only deploys the Log Analytics agent) with automatic remediation of all security recommendations, leading them to incorrectly select Option A.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, 'DeployIfNotExists' policies use Azure Policy's 'remediation task' mechanism, which runs a deployment template (e.g., ARM template) to correct non-compliant resources. This is distinct from 'Auto provisioning', which only installs the Log Analytics agent via the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect for the 'Log Analytics agent should be installed on Windows/Linux VMs' policy. In a real-world scenario, if you enable auto provisioning but forget to enable 'DeployIfNotExists' for 'Vulnerability assessment should be enabled on your SQL servers', SQL servers will remain non-compliant without automatic remediation.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
Manage a security operations environment — This question tests Manage a security operations environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable the 'DeployIfNotExists' policy for specific recommendations — Option C is correct because enabling 'Auto provisioning' for the Log Analytics agent only ensures the agent is installed on VMs, but does not automatically remediate security recommendations. To achieve automatic remediation, you must enable the 'DeployIfNotExists' effect on specific Azure Policy definitions (e.g., 'System updates should be installed on your machines'), which triggers remediation tasks when resources are non-compliant. This is a separate step in Defender for Cloud's 'Security policy' blade under 'Settings & monitoring'.
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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Question Discussion
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