SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the concepts of security, compliance, and identity
An organization wants to use a cloud-based SIEM to collect security data from multiple sources, including on-premises servers and cloud applications. Which Microsoft solution should they choose?
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
✓
Microsoft Sentinel
Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native SIEM that can ingest data from various sources. Defender for Cloud is for cloud security posture management. Microsoft 365 Defender is for detection and response across Microsoft 365. Intune is for device management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Microsoft Sentinel
Why this is correct
Microsoft Sentinel is a cloud-native Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) solution. It excels at collecting security data from diverse sources across an organization's entire digital estate, including Azure, on-premises, and other clouds, through built-in data connectors. Sentinel then uses AI and machine learning to detect, investigate, and respond to threats efficiently, making it ideal for comprehensive security event collection and analysis.
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Microsoft Intune
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solution primarily focused on managing and securing devices and applications. Its core function involves deploying applications, enforcing device compliance policies, and protecting corporate data on mobile devices and PCs. Intune does not function as a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system for collecting and analyzing security logs from various infrastructure components.
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Microsoft 365 Defender
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft 365 Defender is an Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solution that provides unified pre- and post-breach enterprise defense across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. It correlates alerts from endpoints, identities, email, and applications (like Microsoft Teams and SharePoint) to automatically investigate and remediate threats within that specific environment. Unlike a broad SIEM, it is not designed to ingest and analyze security logs from non-Microsoft 365 sources or diverse infrastructure components.
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Microsoft Defender for Cloud
Why it's wrong here
Microsoft Defender for Cloud offers Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and Cloud Workload Protection (CWP) across multi-cloud and hybrid environments. It continuously assesses the security posture of cloud resources, identifies vulnerabilities, and provides threat protection for servers, containers, databases, and other workloads. While it generates security alerts, its primary role is not to act as a centralized SIEM for collecting and correlating security events from an organization's entire IT landscape.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Core Security Concepts
Key term
Intune
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service that helps organizations manage their users' devices and applications, ensuring security and compliance without needing to own or control the physical hardware.
Key term
Security posture
An organization's overall cybersecurity strength, including policies, controls, and readiness to defend against and respond to threats.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SC-900 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-900 exam.