The answer is Cloud Discovery, as it is the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps signal specifically designed to detect shadow IT cloud storage services. This feature works by analyzing traffic logs from your network firewalls and proxies to identify unsanctioned cloud apps being used by users, making it the ideal tool for hunting data exfiltration via unauthorized storage. On the SC-200 exam, this tests your understanding of how Defender for Cloud Apps maps discovered apps to risk categories and generates alerts for anomalous data uploads, a common scenario in threat hunting. A frequent trap is confusing Cloud Discovery with App Connectors, which monitor sanctioned apps, or with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint’s web filtering, which blocks malicious URLs but does not inventory cloud services. Remember the mnemonic: “Cloud Discovery reveals the shadow, App Connectors manage the light.”
SC-200 Perform threat hunting Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of perform threat hunting. 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.
A threat hunter is investigating a potential data exfiltration incident. The hunter suspects that a user is using an unauthorized cloud storage service. Which Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps signal would be most useful to detect this activity?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Cloud Discovery
Option A is correct because Defender for Cloud Apps can discover shadow IT cloud apps. Option B is wrong because it does not detect cloud app usage. Option C is wrong because it is for web filtering, not cloud apps. Option D is wrong because it is for email protection.
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.
✓
Cloud Discovery
Why this is correct
Cloud Discovery identifies shadow IT and cloud app usage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Web Protection
Why it's wrong here
Web Protection blocks malicious websites, not cloud app detection.
✗
Microsoft Defender for Identity
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Identity detects on-premises identity threats, not cloud app usage.
✗
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Safe Links
Why it's wrong here
Safe Links protects against malicious URLs, not cloud app discovery.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
Identify which SC-200 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Perform threat hunting — This question tests Perform threat hunting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Discovery — Option A is correct because Defender for Cloud Apps can discover shadow IT cloud apps. Option B is wrong because it does not detect cloud app usage. Option C is wrong because it is for web filtering, not cloud apps. Option D is wrong because it is for email protection.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Identify which SC-200 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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