- A
Deploy the Log Analytics agent on all VMs.
Why wrong: Defender for Cloud alerts are ingested via the connector, not agent.
- B
Connect a non-Azure machine using Azure Arc.
Why wrong: Not required; Defender for Cloud can work with Azure VMs without Arc.
- C
Install the 'Microsoft Defender for Cloud' data connector in Microsoft Sentinel.
The connector must be installed and configured.
- D
Enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud on the Azure subscription.
Defender for Cloud must be active to generate alerts.
- E
Assign an Azure Policy to enable Defender for Cloud.
Why wrong: Policy can enable it, but not required; manual enablement works.
Question 845 of 1,639
Two Prerequisites to Enable Microsoft Sentinel to Receive Alerts from Defender for Cloud
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Which TWO of the following are required to enable Microsoft Sentinel to receive alerts from Microsoft Defender for Cloud? (Choose two.)
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
✓
Install the 'Microsoft Defender for Cloud' data connector in Microsoft Sentinel.
Option C is correct because the 'Microsoft Defender for Cloud' data connector in Microsoft Sentinel is the specific integration point that ingests security alerts from Defender for Cloud into Sentinel. Without installing and configuring this connector, Sentinel cannot receive the alerts, even if Defender for Cloud is enabled on the subscription.
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.
- ✗
Deploy the Log Analytics agent on all VMs.
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Cloud alerts are ingested via the connector, not agent.
- ✗
Connect a non-Azure machine using Azure Arc.
Why it's wrong here
Not required; Defender for Cloud can work with Azure VMs without Arc.
- ✓
Install the 'Microsoft Defender for Cloud' data connector in Microsoft Sentinel.
Why this is correct
The connector must be installed and configured.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Enable Microsoft Defender for Cloud on the Azure subscription.
Why this is correct
Defender for Cloud must be active to generate alerts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Assign an Azure Policy to enable Defender for Cloud.
Why it's wrong here
Policy can enable it, but not required; manual enablement works.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse enabling Defender for Cloud at the subscription level (which is required) with deploying agents or policies, thinking those are prerequisites for alert ingestion, when in fact the connector handles the ingestion independently of agent deployment.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Microsoft Defender for Cloud data connector uses the Azure Resource Graph and the Defender for Cloud REST API to pull security alerts into the Sentinel Log Analytics workspace. The connector maps Defender for Cloud's alert schema to the SecurityAlert table in Sentinel, enabling correlation with other data sources. A subtle behavior is that if Defender for Cloud is enabled only on a subset of resources, the connector will only ingest alerts from those protected resources, which can lead to gaps in coverage if not properly scoped.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
Manage a security operations environment — This question tests Manage a security operations environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Install the 'Microsoft Defender for Cloud' data connector in Microsoft Sentinel. — Option C is correct because the 'Microsoft Defender for Cloud' data connector in Microsoft Sentinel is the specific integration point that ingests security alerts from Defender for Cloud into Sentinel. Without installing and configuring this connector, Sentinel cannot receive the alerts, even if Defender for Cloud is enabled on the subscription.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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