The answer is Adaptive Application Controls. This is the correct feature because it uses machine learning to establish a baseline of known-safe processes on your Windows Server VMs, then enforces an allowlist so that only those approved applications can run, generating a security alert in Microsoft Defender for Cloud when an unapproved application is executed. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between Defender for Cloud’s adaptive controls and other features like just-in-time VM access or file integrity monitoring—a common trap is confusing Adaptive Application Controls with application whitelisting via Group Policy, but AAC is cloud-native and leverages Defender for Cloud’s enhanced security features. Remember the key distinction: Adaptive Application Controls is the only option that both defines an allowlist and alerts on violations automatically. A helpful memory tip: think “AAC = App Allowlist Control” to link the acronym directly to the task of allowing only approved applications.
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 only approved applications can run on a set of Windows Server virtual machines. The administrator has already enabled Microsoft Defender for Cloud's enhanced security features. Which Defender for Cloud feature should the administrator configure to define a list of allowed applications and get alerts when unapproved applications are executed?
Correct. Adaptive Application Controls learns typical application usage and creates an allowlist; alerts are generated when an application outside the allowlist runs.
B
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
Why wrong: Incorrect. FIM monitors changes to system files and registry keys, not application execution.
C
Just-in-Time VM Access (JIT)
Why wrong: Incorrect. JIT controls inbound RDP/SSH access, not application execution on the VM.
D
Vulnerability Assessment
Why wrong: Incorrect. Vulnerability assessment scans for software vulnerabilities (missing patches, misconfigurations), not for controlling which applications can run.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Adaptive Application Controls
Adaptive Application Controls (AAC) is the correct feature because it uses machine learning to establish a baseline of known-safe processes on your Windows Server VMs, then enforces an allowlist so that only those approved applications can run. When an unapproved application is executed, AAC generates a security alert in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, meeting the requirement to both define allowed applications and receive alerts on violations.
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.
✓
Adaptive Application Controls
Why this is correct
Correct. Adaptive Application Controls learns typical application usage and creates an allowlist; alerts are generated when an application outside the allowlist runs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. FIM monitors changes to system files and registry keys, not application execution.
✗
Just-in-Time VM Access (JIT)
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. JIT controls inbound RDP/SSH access, not application execution on the VM.
✗
Vulnerability Assessment
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Vulnerability assessment scans for software vulnerabilities (missing patches, misconfigurations), not for controlling which applications can run.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'application control' with 'file integrity monitoring' because both deal with files, but FIM only alerts on changes to existing files, not on execution of new unapproved applications.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Adaptive Application Controls works by first learning a baseline of processes running on your VMs over a period (typically 7 days), then generating allowlist rules based on publisher, path, or file hash. When a process not in the allowlist attempts to execute, Defender for Cloud triggers an alert with severity and details, and you can optionally audit or block the process via integration with Windows Defender Firewall or custom scripts. In a real-world scenario, this is critical for servers running legacy line-of-business apps where traditional antivirus may cause false positives, as AAC can whitelist specific signed binaries while blocking unknown executables.
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: Adaptive Application Controls — Adaptive Application Controls (AAC) is the correct feature because it uses machine learning to establish a baseline of known-safe processes on your Windows Server VMs, then enforces an allowlist so that only those approved applications can run. When an unapproved application is executed, AAC generates a security alert in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, meeting the requirement to both define allowed applications and receive alerts on violations.
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.