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SC-200 Practice Question: Has enabled enhanced security features for a…
An organization has enabled enhanced security features for a hybrid infrastructure including SQL servers on-premises and in Azure. Which Microsoft Defender for Cloud plan provides threat detection for both SQL Server on-premises and Azure SQL Database?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'Defender for Databases' (a broader, non-existent plan in the current Microsoft Defender for Cloud portfolio) with 'Defender for SQL,' which is the actual plan that covers both on-premises and Azure SQL databases.
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
✓
Defender for SQL
Defender for SQL is the correct plan because it is specifically designed to protect both on-premises SQL Server instances (via Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server) and Azure SQL Database. It provides threat detection, vulnerability assessment, and advanced threat protection across the hybrid SQL estate, unlike other Defender plans that focus on different resource types.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Defender for Servers
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Servers is a Microsoft Defender for Cloud plan that protects the operating system and virtual machine layer, providing endpoint detection and response, vulnerability management, and just-in-time VM access. It does not apply threat detection to database engines, so SQL injection attempts, anomalous database queries, or password spraying against SQL logins are not monitored by this plan. While it can run on a virtual machine that hosts SQL Server, it cannot safeguard the data or the database engine itself, making it an incomplete answer for SQL-specific security in a hybrid environment.
- ✓
Defender for SQL
Why this is correct
Defender for SQL is the correct cloud security plan for protecting SQL Server workloads, whether they run as Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, or SQL Server on an Azure VM or on-premises server connected via Azure Arc. It includes vulnerability assessment, data discovery and classification, and advanced threat protection that generates alerts for SQL injection and unusual access patterns. Because the question asks about enhanced security features for a hybrid infrastructure involving SQL, this plan directly covers both cloud and on-premises database layers.
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Defender for Databases
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Databases is not an official standalone plan in Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Microsoft's documentation uses 'Defender for Databases' as a category that groups the database-related plans, but the actual plan name for SQL workload protection is 'Defender for SQL'. Selecting this answer demonstrates a misunderstanding of the exact naming used on the Azure portal and in documentation, even though it sounds plausible.
- ✗
Defender for Storage
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Storage protects Azure Storage accounts, including Blob, File, and Data Lake Storage, by detecting anomalous access patterns, credential compromise, and attempted malicious uploads. It has no visibility into SQL database engines or the query activity occurring within them, so it cannot provide threat detection for SQL databases. The plan is therefore irrelevant to securing a hybrid SQL environment.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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