SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions
A company uses Azure virtual machines for a production database. The security team wants to minimize the attack surface by blocking all inbound RDP (port 3389) traffic. However, administrators occasionally need to connect for maintenance. The team needs a solution that allows administrators to request temporary access to the RDP port, which is automatically revoked after a specified time. Which Microsoft Defender for Cloud feature should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'just-in-time VM access' with 'adaptive application controls' because both are Defender for Cloud features that involve 'control' and 'access,' but JIT specifically manages network port access while adaptive controls manage application execution.
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
✓
Just-in-time (JIT) VM access
Just-in-time (JIT) VM access is the correct feature because it specifically addresses the need to block inbound RDP (port 3389) traffic by default while allowing administrators to request temporary, time-bound access. When a request is approved, JIT dynamically modifies the network security group (NSG) to open the port for a specified duration, then automatically reverts the rule to deny all inbound traffic after the time expires. This directly minimizes the attack surface by eliminating persistent open management ports.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Adaptive application controls
Why it's wrong here
Adaptive application controls are a feature within Azure Defender for Cloud designed to harden VMs by controlling which applications are allowed to execute on them. This security measure creates a baseline of known safe applications and blocks all others, effectively preventing the execution of malicious or unauthorized software. However, this control operates at the application layer within the VM and does not manage or restrict inbound network port access, which is a network-level concern.
- ✓
Just-in-time (JIT) VM access
Why this is correct
Just-in-time (JIT) VM access is a crucial security feature in Azure Defender for Cloud that significantly reduces the attack surface of virtual machines. It achieves this by locking down inbound network traffic to VMs, typically via Network Security Groups (NSGs), allowing only authorized users to request temporary, time-limited access to specific ports. This access is automatically revoked after a configurable duration, ensuring that ports are only open precisely when needed, thereby minimizing exposure for production database VMs.
- ✗
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
Why it's wrong here
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) is a security control that continuously monitors operating system files, application software files, and registry keys on virtual machines for unauthorized or suspicious modifications. Its primary purpose is to detect changes that could indicate a compromise or policy violation, crucial for compliance and maintaining system integrity. However, FIM focuses exclusively on the internal state and integrity of files and the registry, and it does not provide any mechanism to control or restrict inbound network port access to the VM.
- ✗
Security alerts
Why it's wrong here
Security alerts are notifications generated by security monitoring systems, such as Azure Defender for Cloud, when potential threats, suspicious activities, or policy violations are detected on resources like virtual machines. These alerts provide critical visibility into security incidents, enabling rapid response and investigation by security teams. While essential for threat detection and awareness, security alerts are a reactive mechanism that informs about threats; they do not actively control, block, or manage inbound network port access to a VM.
Go deeper
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Learn chapter
Core Security Concepts
Key term
Access Control List
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Key term
Terminal Access Controller Access-control System
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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