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.
A security administrator needs to ensure that all newly provisioned Azure virtual machines automatically install the Microsoft Defender for Cloud agent (Log Analytics agent) to enable security monitoring. Which configuration should be enabled in 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
✓
Auto-provisioning of the Log Analytics agent
Auto-provisioning of the Log Analytics agent in Microsoft Defender for Cloud automatically installs the Log Analytics agent (Microsoft Monitoring Agent) on all new Azure VMs. This ensures that security monitoring data, such as security events and syslog, is collected and sent to the Log Analytics workspace without manual intervention. The setting is found under 'Environment settings' > 'Auto provisioning' and must be toggled to 'On' for the agent to be deployed on newly provisioned VMs.
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.
✓
Auto-provisioning of the Log Analytics agent
Why this is correct
Correct. When enabled, Defender for Cloud automatically installs the agent on new and existing VMs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable the Defender for Servers plan
Why it's wrong here
This enables threat detection but does not trigger agent installation.
✗
Configure a vulnerability assessment solution
Why it's wrong here
Vulnerability assessment requires an agent but is not the mechanism to install it automatically.
✗
Enable just-in-time (JIT) VM access
Why it's wrong here
JIT is a network access control feature, not related to agent installation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'enabling the Defender for Servers plan' with automatic agent deployment, but the plan only enables threat detection capabilities and does not handle the agent installation process.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Log Analytics agent (Microsoft Monitoring Agent) uses TCP port 443 to communicate with the Log Analytics workspace, and auto-provisioning leverages Azure Policy to deploy the agent via VM extensions. In a real-world scenario, if auto-provisioning is disabled, newly created VMs remain unmonitored until an administrator manually installs the agent, leading to gaps in security event collection and compliance reporting.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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: Auto-provisioning of the Log Analytics agent — Auto-provisioning of the Log Analytics agent in Microsoft Defender for Cloud automatically installs the Log Analytics agent (Microsoft Monitoring Agent) on all new Azure VMs. This ensures that security monitoring data, such as security events and syslog, is collected and sent to the Log Analytics workspace without manual intervention. The setting is found under 'Environment settings' > 'Auto provisioning' and must be toggled to 'On' for the agent to be deployed on newly provisioned VMs.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.