Quick Answer
The answer is the Microsoft Defender for Identity data connector. This is correct because the connector leverages the Microsoft Graph Security API to pull MDI security alerts—such as suspicious Kerberos activity or lateral movement attempts—directly into Microsoft Sentinel, enabling advanced correlation and incident response without needing additional agents or complex configurations. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to bridge on-premises Active Directory monitoring with cloud-native SIEM; a common trap is confusing this with the Windows Security Events connector or the Azure Active Directory connector, which handle different data types. Remember that MDI alerts are identity-focused and require the dedicated Defender for Identity connector, not a generic syslog or agent-based solution. Memory tip: think “MDI = Microsoft Defender for Identity connector” to avoid mixing it up with other Microsoft security connectors.
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. 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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) to monitor on-premises Active Directory. You want to forward MDI alerts to Microsoft Sentinel. What should you configure?
Microsoft 365 Defender connector
Why wrong: MDI alerts are not included in M365D connector.
Azure Advanced Threat Protection connector
Why wrong: Azure ATP is deprecated; use MDI connector.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps connector
Why wrong: This is for cloud app alerts.
Microsoft Defender for Identity connector
Direct connector for MDI alerts.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Microsoft Defender for Identity connector
Option D is correct because Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) alerts are forwarded to Microsoft Sentinel by configuring the Microsoft Defender for Identity data connector. This connector ingests MDI security alerts, such as suspicious Kerberos activity or lateral movement attempts, directly into Sentinel for advanced correlation and incident response. The connector uses the Microsoft Graph Security API to pull alerts from the MDI service, enabling seamless integration without additional agents.
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 connector
Why it's wrong here
MDI alerts are not included in M365D connector.
Azure Advanced Threat Protection connector
Why it's wrong here
Azure ATP is deprecated; use MDI connector.
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps connector
Why it's wrong here
This is for cloud app alerts.
Microsoft Defender for Identity connector
Why this is correct
Direct connector for MDI alerts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse the Microsoft Defender for Identity connector with the Microsoft 365 Defender connector, assuming the unified portal connector is the correct way to forward MDI alerts, but the exam expects the specific product-named connector for direct integration.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the Microsoft Defender for Identity connector in Sentinel uses the Microsoft Graph Security API to query MDI alerts, which are generated by the MDI sensor analyzing on-premises AD traffic (e.g., Kerberos, NTLM, LDAP). A subtle behavior is that the connector does not forward raw logs but only security alerts, so for full packet-level analysis, you would need to stream Windows Event Logs (e.g., 4776, 4768) separately via the Windows Security Events connector. In a real-world scenario, an organization might combine the MDI connector with the Microsoft 365 Defender connector to correlate MDI alerts with MDE endpoint detections, but the MDI connector alone is the correct choice for forwarding only MDI alerts.
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: Microsoft Defender for Identity connector — Option D is correct because Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) alerts are forwarded to Microsoft Sentinel by configuring the Microsoft Defender for Identity data connector. This connector ingests MDI security alerts, such as suspicious Kerberos activity or lateral movement attempts, directly into Sentinel for advanced correlation and incident response. The connector uses the Microsoft Graph Security API to pull alerts from the MDI service, enabling seamless integration without additional agents.
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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Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) and Microsoft Sentinel. You notice that MDI alerts are not appearing in Sentinel. You have already installed the MDI data connector and configured the workspace. What is the most likely cause?
mediumWhy C: Option A is correct because the connector needs to be enabled. Option B is wrong because it still works. Option C is wrong because it's not required. Option D is wrong because the connector handles ingestion.
Variation 2. Your organization is using Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) and Microsoft Sentinel. The security team wants to correlate alerts from MDI with other data sources in Sentinel. What is the recommended approach?
mediumWhy D: Option B is correct because the MDI data connector ingests alerts into Sentinel for correlation with other data sources. Option A is wrong because manual export is not scalable. Option C is wrong because MDI does not directly integrate with Sentinel via API without a connector. Option D is wrong because playbooks are for response, not data ingestion.
Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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