Quick Answer
The Threat Intelligence - TAXII data connector is the correct choice because it enables Microsoft Sentinel to ingest threat intelligence feeds from external sources that support the TAXII (Trusted Automated eXchange of Indicator Information) protocol, such as AlienVault OTX. This connector leverages the STIX (Structured Threat Information Expression) standard to pull indicators of compromise (IOCs) like IP addresses, domains, and hashes directly into Sentinel for correlation and alerting. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your ability to match data connectors to specific ingestion scenarios, often contrasting the TAXII connector with the Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence connector or the Upload Indicators API. A common trap is selecting a generic connector or confusing TAXII with a simple API feed, but remember that TAXII is the protocol for automated, standardized threat intelligence exchange. Memory tip: TAXII + STIX = external threat feeds, like AlienVault OTX, flowing into Sentinel.
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
You need to ensure that Microsoft Sentinel can access threat intelligence feeds from external sources like AlienVault OTX. Which data connector should you use?
Microsoft 365 Defender data connector
Why wrong: For Defender signals.
Microsoft Entra ID data connector
Why wrong: For identity logs.
Amazon Web Services data connector
Why wrong: For AWS logs.
Threat Intelligence - TAXII data connector
Connects to TAXII feeds like AlienVault OTX.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Threat Intelligence - TAXII data connector
The Threat Intelligence - TAXII data connector is the correct choice because it enables Microsoft Sentinel to ingest threat intelligence feeds from external sources that support the TAXII (Trusted Automated eXchange of Indicator Information) protocol, such as AlienVault OTX. This connector uses the STIX (Structured Threat Information Expression) standard to pull indicators of compromise (IOCs) like IP addresses, domains, and hashes directly into Sentinel for correlation and alerting.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Microsoft 365 Defender data connector
Why it's wrong here
For Defender signals.
Microsoft Entra ID data connector
Why it's wrong here
For identity logs.
Amazon Web Services data connector
Why it's wrong here
For AWS logs.
Threat Intelligence - TAXII data connector
Why this is correct
Connects to TAXII feeds like AlienVault OTX.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the 'Threat Intelligence - TAXII' connector with other data connectors that also deal with external data (like AWS or Microsoft 365), but only the TAXII connector is specifically designed to ingest structured threat intelligence feeds using the STIX/TAXII standard.
Detailed technical explanation
The TAXII protocol, defined by OASIS, operates over HTTPS and uses a client-server model where Sentinel acts as a TAXII client to pull STIX objects from a TAXII server (e.g., AlienVault OTX's TAXII endpoint). The connector supports both TAXII 1.x and 2.x, with TAXII 2.x using JSON-based STIX 2.x objects, which are more flexible than the XML-based STIX 1.x. In a real-world scenario, you would configure the connector with the TAXII server URL, collection ID, and API key (if required) to automatically fetch IOCs every few minutes, enabling proactive threat hunting.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Manage a security operations environment — This question tests Manage a security operations environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Threat Intelligence - TAXII data connector — The Threat Intelligence - TAXII data connector is the correct choice because it enables Microsoft Sentinel to ingest threat intelligence feeds from external sources that support the TAXII (Trusted Automated eXchange of Indicator Information) protocol, such as AlienVault OTX. This connector uses the STIX (Structured Threat Information Expression) standard to pull indicators of compromise (IOCs) like IP addresses, domains, and hashes directly into Sentinel for correlation and alerting.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 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.
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