The correct answer is Windows Security Events (Event ID 4732). This is because when a new local user is added to the Administrators group on a Windows machine, the operating system automatically generates security audit event 4732, and Defender for Cloud must be configured to ingest these Windows Security Events as a data source to detect that activity and trigger an alert. On the Microsoft Security Operations Analyst SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of how Defender for Servers relies on specific data connectors—not just raw logs—to enable threat detection for local admin creation. A common trap is confusing Event ID 4732 with 4720 (user account creation) or 4733 (member removed), but remember: 4732 is the “member added to a security-enabled local group” event. For a quick memory tip, think “32 = group add” and associate it with the two-step process of creating a user (4720) then adding them to the admin group (4732).
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 team uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud with Defender for Servers enabled. They want to receive an alert whenever a new local user is added to the Administrators group on any Azure Windows virtual machine. Which data source must be configured in Defender for Cloud to capture this event?
Event 4732 logs when a member is added to a security-enabled local group. Defender for Cloud can collect security events and alert on this specific event.
B
Windows Defender Antivirus logs
Why wrong: Antivirus logs relate to malware detections, not local group membership changes.
C
Azure Activity Logs
Why wrong: The Activity Log tracks control plane operations (e.g., VM creation), not local OS-level events like group changes.
D
VM Insights
Why wrong: VM Insights provides performance and dependency mapping, not security audit events.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Windows Security Events (Event ID 4732)
Option A is correct because the addition of a user to the Administrators group on a Windows system generates Windows Security Event ID 4732. Defender for Cloud with Defender for Servers must have the 'Windows Security Events' data source configured to collect these audit events, which then triggers a security alert for the new local administrator.
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.
✓
Windows Security Events (Event ID 4732)
Why this is correct
Event 4732 logs when a member is added to a security-enabled local group. Defender for Cloud can collect security events and alert on this specific event.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Windows Defender Antivirus logs
Why it's wrong here
Antivirus logs relate to malware detections, not local group membership changes.
✗
Azure Activity Logs
Why it's wrong here
The Activity Log tracks control plane operations (e.g., VM creation), not local OS-level events like group changes.
✗
VM Insights
Why it's wrong here
VM Insights provides performance and dependency mapping, not security audit events.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Activity Logs (control-plane) with guest OS security events, assuming any Azure-level log will capture local user changes, but only the Windows Security Events data source collects the necessary Event ID 4732 from within the VM.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Windows Security Event ID 4732 is generated by the Security Account Manager (SAM) when a member is added to a security-enabled local group. Defender for Cloud's 'Windows Security Events' data source uses the Log Analytics agent to forward these events from the Security log to the workspace, where analytics rules detect the addition to the Administrators group. A subtle behavior is that this event is only logged if the 'Audit Security Group Management' policy is enabled; without it, the event is not generated, and no alert will fire.
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.
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: Windows Security Events (Event ID 4732) — Option A is correct because the addition of a user to the Administrators group on a Windows system generates Windows Security Event ID 4732. Defender for Cloud with Defender for Servers must have the 'Windows Security Events' data source configured to collect these audit events, which then triggers a security alert for the new local administrator.
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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Question Discussion
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