- A
Just-In-Time VM Access → Provides time-limited access to management ports via NSG rules; Adaptive Application Controls → Allowlists known safe applications to run on VMs; File Integrity Monitoring → Detects changes to sensitive registry keys and files; Regulatory Compliance Dashboard → Assesses Azure resources against industry standards
This mapping pairs each feature with its primary purpose.
- B
The first and second mappings are reversed; the remaining mappings are unchanged.
Why wrong: Reversing mapped items creates incorrect feature-purpose relationships.
- C
All features map to the same monitoring purpose.
Why wrong: The features serve different purposes and must not be collapsed into one category.
- D
The compliance and access-control mappings are swapped.
Why wrong: Compliance assessment and access control are separate functions.
Quick Answer
The answer is Option A, which correctly matches each Microsoft Defender for Cloud feature to its primary purpose. Just-In-Time VM Access reduces the attack surface by locking down management ports like RDP 3389 and SSH 22, granting time-limited access only when requested via NSG rules, while Adaptive Application Controls uses machine learning to allowlist known safe applications and block unknown executables on VMs. File Integrity Monitoring detects changes to sensitive registry keys, files, and certificates, alerting on unauthorized modifications, and the Regulatory Compliance Dashboard continuously assesses Azure resources against built-in standards like CIS, NIST, and the Azure Security Benchmark, providing a compliance score and recommendations. On the SC-200 exam, this matching question tests your ability to distinguish between these four features, which often appear together in scenario-based items; a common trap is confusing FIM’s change detection with JIT’s access control, or mixing up adaptive controls with simple antivirus. Remember the mnemonic “JARF” — JIT for Access, Adaptive for Allowlists, Registry for FIM, Framework for Compliance.
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.
Match each Microsoft Defender for Cloud feature on the left with its primary purpose on the right.
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Just-In-Time VM Access → Provides time-limited access to management ports via NSG rules; Adaptive Application Controls → Allowlists known safe applications to run on VMs; File Integrity Monitoring → Detects changes to sensitive registry keys and files; Regulatory Compliance Dashboard → Assesses Azure resources against industry standards
Option A is correct because it accurately matches each Microsoft Defender for Cloud feature to its primary purpose. Just-In-Time (JIT) VM Access reduces the attack surface by locking down management ports (e.g., RDP 3389, SSH 22) and granting time-limited access via NSG rules only when requested. Adaptive Application Controls uses machine learning to create an allowlist of known safe applications, blocking unknown executables on VMs. File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) tracks changes to sensitive registry keys, files, and certificates, alerting on unauthorized modifications. The Regulatory Compliance Dashboard continuously assesses Azure resources against built-in standards like CIS, NIST, and Azure Security Benchmark, providing a compliance score and recommendations.
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.
- ✓
Just-In-Time VM Access → Provides time-limited access to management ports via NSG rules; Adaptive Application Controls → Allowlists known safe applications to run on VMs; File Integrity Monitoring → Detects changes to sensitive registry keys and files; Regulatory Compliance Dashboard → Assesses Azure resources against industry standards
Why this is correct
This mapping pairs each feature with its primary purpose.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The first and second mappings are reversed; the remaining mappings are unchanged.
Why it's wrong here
Reversing mapped items creates incorrect feature-purpose relationships.
- ✗
All features map to the same monitoring purpose.
Why it's wrong here
The features serve different purposes and must not be collapsed into one category.
- ✗
The compliance and access-control mappings are swapped.
Why it's wrong here
Compliance assessment and access control are separate functions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Just-In-Time VM Access with Adaptive Application Controls because both reduce attack surface, but JIT controls network-level access to management ports while Adaptive Application Controls controls which applications can execute at the OS level.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, JIT VM Access works by creating and deleting NSG rules on-demand via Azure Resource Manager, with a default timeout of 3 hours; it also integrates with Azure Policy to enforce JIT across all VMs. Adaptive Application Controls leverages Windows AppLocker or Linux auditd to enforce allowlists, and it requires at least 7 days of telemetry to build a baseline. FIM uses Azure Change Tracking and the OMS agent to collect SHA-256 hashes and registry values, comparing them against a baseline stored in Log Analytics. The Regulatory Compliance Dashboard pulls data from Azure Policy compliance states and maps them to controls in standards like PCI DSS 3.2.1, providing a real-time percentage score.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender for Cloud — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender for Cloud practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SC-200 questions
1,639 questions across all exam domains
- →
Microsoft Security Operations Analyst SC-200 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SC-200 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SC-200 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Manage a security operations environment practice questions
Practise SC-200 questions linked to Manage a security operations environment.
Respond to security incidents practice questions
Practise SC-200 questions linked to Respond to security incidents.
Perform threat hunting practice questions
Practise SC-200 questions linked to Perform threat hunting.
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender XDR practice questions
Practise SC-200 questions linked to Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender XDR.
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender for Cloud practice questions
Practise SC-200 questions linked to Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel practice questions
Practise SC-200 questions linked to Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel.
SC-200 fundamentals practice questions
Practise SC-200 questions linked to SC-200 fundamentals.
SC-200 scenario practice questions
Practise SC-200 questions linked to SC-200 scenario.
SC-200 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise SC-200 questions linked to SC-200 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free SC-200 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
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: Just-In-Time VM Access → Provides time-limited access to management ports via NSG rules; Adaptive Application Controls → Allowlists known safe applications to run on VMs; File Integrity Monitoring → Detects changes to sensitive registry keys and files; Regulatory Compliance Dashboard → Assesses Azure resources against industry standards — Option A is correct because it accurately matches each Microsoft Defender for Cloud feature to its primary purpose. Just-In-Time (JIT) VM Access reduces the attack surface by locking down management ports (e.g., RDP 3389, SSH 22) and granting time-limited access via NSG rules only when requested. Adaptive Application Controls uses machine learning to create an allowlist of known safe applications, blocking unknown executables on VMs. File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) tracks changes to sensitive registry keys, files, and certificates, alerting on unauthorized modifications. The Regulatory Compliance Dashboard continuously assesses Azure resources against built-in standards like CIS, NIST, and Azure Security Benchmark, providing a compliance score and recommendations.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.