The correct action is to enable the Microsoft Defender for SQL plan at the subscription level within Microsoft Defender for Cloud. This works because Defender for Cloud’s subscription-level enablement applies a single policy that automatically activates advanced threat detection for all existing and future Azure SQL databases under that subscription, including protection against SQL injection attempts and anomalous activities. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of centralized security policies versus per-resource configuration—a common trap is selecting “enable on individual databases,” which lacks scalability and misses future resources. Remember that subscription-level enablement is the only way to ensure compliance and coverage without manual overhead. A helpful memory tip: think “one toggle, all databases”—subscription-level Defender for SQL is the single switch that protects your entire SQL estate.
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 wants to enable advanced threat detection for all Azure SQL databases across multiple subscriptions. They want to receive alerts for SQL injection attempts and anomalous activities. Which action should they take in Microsoft Defender for Cloud?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable the Microsoft Defender for SQL plan at the subscription level.
Microsoft Defender for SQL provides advanced threat detection for Azure SQL databases, including alerts for SQL injection attempts and anomalous activities. Enabling the plan at the subscription level automatically protects all existing and future SQL databases within that subscription, ensuring centralized management and compliance.
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.
✗
Enable the Microsoft Defender for Servers plan on each subscription.
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Servers covers VMs and servers, not Azure SQL databases.
✓
Enable the Microsoft Defender for SQL plan at the subscription level.
Why this is correct
When enabled at the subscription level, all SQL databases in that subscription are protected, and alerts are generated for threats like SQL injection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure SQL Auditing and Threat Detection on each SQL server individually.
Why it's wrong here
This is a manual approach and not recommended; Defender for SQL provides centralized management and automated alerts.
✗
Create an Azure Policy to deploy Azure SQL Firewall rules.
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rules limit access but do not provide threat detection for SQL injection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the need for per-server configuration (Option C) with the centralized subscription-level enablement, or they mistakenly think that server-level security controls like firewalls (Option D) or server-specific plans (Option A) can provide the same threat detection capabilities.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Microsoft Defender for SQL leverages the SQL Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) engine, which uses machine learning models to detect suspicious activities such as SQL injection, brute-force attacks, and anomalous access patterns. When enabled at the subscription level, it integrates with Azure Security Center's unified dashboard, allowing security teams to view and respond to alerts across all subscriptions without per-server configuration. This approach also simplifies compliance with regulatory standards like PCI DSS and ISO 27001 by ensuring consistent threat detection coverage.
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 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.
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: Enable the Microsoft Defender for SQL plan at the subscription level. — Microsoft Defender for SQL provides advanced threat detection for Azure SQL databases, including alerts for SQL injection attempts and anomalous activities. Enabling the plan at the subscription level automatically protects all existing and future SQL databases within that subscription, ensuring centralized management and compliance.
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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