- A
Create a PowerShell script that runs on each VM to migrate it, and execute it via Azure Automation.
Why wrong: Governance rules in Defender for Cloud do not use custom scripts; they provide built-in automatic remediation.
- B
Create an Azure Policy initiative that includes the recommendation and assign it with a remediation task at the management group level.
Why wrong: Azure Policy remediation is separate from Defender for Cloud governance rules; the question asks about Defender for Cloud governance.
- C
Create a governance rule in Microsoft Defender for Cloud with scope set to the management group, condition on the recommendation, and action set to 'Automatic'.
Governance rules can be scoped to management groups and perform automatic remediation.
- D
Create a governance rule in Microsoft Defender for Cloud with scope set to a single subscription and action set to 'Automatic'.
Why wrong: Scope must be the management group to cover all subscriptions.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create a governance rule in Microsoft Defender for Cloud with the scope set to the management group, the condition targeting the specific recommendation, and the action set to 'Automatic'. This is correct because Defender for Cloud governance rules enable automatic remediation at scale by applying a built-in remediation script directly to the recommendation across all subscriptions within a management group, eliminating the need for custom Azure Policy assignments or manual scripting. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how governance rules differ from policy initiatives—a common trap is confusing them with Azure Policy’s DeployIfNotExists effect, but governance rules are simpler and designed for Defender’s native recommendations. Remember the memory tip: "Scope the group, set it to auto, and let Defender go."
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. 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.
Your company uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud to assess the security posture of hybrid workloads. You are configuring a governance rule to automatically remediate a specific recommendation that is out of compliance. The recommendation is 'Virtual machines should be migrated to new Azure Resource Manager resources'. You need to ensure that the remediation is applied at scale across all subscriptions in the management group. What should you do?
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
Create a governance rule in Microsoft Defender for Cloud with scope set to the management group, condition on the recommendation, and action set to 'Automatic'.
Option C is correct because governance rules in Microsoft Defender for Cloud allow you to define automatic remediation actions for specific recommendations at scale. By setting the scope to the management group, the rule applies to all subscriptions within that group, and the 'Automatic' action triggers the built-in remediation script for the 'Virtual machines should be migrated to new Azure Resource Manager resources' recommendation without requiring custom scripting or policy assignments.
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.
- ✗
Create a PowerShell script that runs on each VM to migrate it, and execute it via Azure Automation.
Why it's wrong here
Governance rules in Defender for Cloud do not use custom scripts; they provide built-in automatic remediation.
- ✗
Create an Azure Policy initiative that includes the recommendation and assign it with a remediation task at the management group level.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Policy remediation is separate from Defender for Cloud governance rules; the question asks about Defender for Cloud governance.
- ✓
Create a governance rule in Microsoft Defender for Cloud with scope set to the management group, condition on the recommendation, and action set to 'Automatic'.
Why this is correct
Governance rules can be scoped to management groups and perform automatic remediation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a governance rule in Microsoft Defender for Cloud with scope set to a single subscription and action set to 'Automatic'.
Why it's wrong here
Scope must be the management group to cover all subscriptions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Azure Policy remediation tasks with Defender for Cloud governance rules, not realizing that governance rules provide a simpler, built-in mechanism for automatic remediation of specific recommendations at scale without requiring separate policy assignments.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Governance rules in Defender for Cloud use the 'Automatic' action to invoke the platform's built-in remediation scripts, which for the 'Migrate to ARM' recommendation run the Azure Resource Manager migration API (e.g., via the `Move-AzureRmResource` cmdlet) on each non-compliant VM. The management group scope ensures the rule is inherited by all child subscriptions, and the rule's condition filters for the specific recommendation ID (e.g., 'e0b2a8c1-3b7a-4a1f-8c9d-2e5f6a7b8c9d'). This avoids the need for custom automation or policy assignments, as the rule directly triggers the remediation task within Defender for Cloud's compliance workflow.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: Create a governance rule in Microsoft Defender for Cloud with scope set to the management group, condition on the recommendation, and action set to 'Automatic'. — Option C is correct because governance rules in Microsoft Defender for Cloud allow you to define automatic remediation actions for specific recommendations at scale. By setting the scope to the management group, the rule applies to all subscriptions within that group, and the 'Automatic' action triggers the built-in remediation script for the 'Virtual machines should be migrated to new Azure Resource Manager resources' recommendation without requiring custom scripting or policy assignments.
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: 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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