- A
Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Why wrong: PIM provides just-in-time and approval workflows for Azure AD roles and Azure resource roles, but not for administrative ports on virtual machines.
- B
Microsoft Defender for Identity
Why wrong: Defender for Identity monitors on-premises Active Directory for identity attacks, but does not offer just-in-time access to server ports.
- C
Microsoft Defender for Cloud (with just-in-time VM access)
Defender for Cloud's JIT feature allows you to manage and approve temporary access to management ports (RDP, SSH) on Azure VMs and, via Azure Arc, on on-premises servers, thereby reducing the attack surface.
- D
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Why wrong: Defender for Cloud Apps is a CASB that provides visibility and control over cloud applications, not just-in-time access to VM ports.
Quick Answer
The answer is Microsoft Defender for Cloud with its just-in-time VM access capability. This solution directly addresses the need to reduce exposure of administrative ports like RDP and SSH by locking down inbound traffic to both Azure VMs and on-premises servers connected via Azure Arc. When an administrator requests access, Defender for Cloud can require approval from a central team, then automatically opens the specified ports for a limited time window before closing them again—perfectly matching the scenario’s requirements for approval and time-limited access across hybrid environments. On the SC-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of how Defender for Cloud extends beyond Azure to protect on-premises workloads through Azure Arc, a common trap being to confuse it with Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM), which handles role-based access rather than network-level port control. A helpful memory tip: think of JIT as a “temporary door” that locks automatically after use, while PIM is a “temporary badge” for identity permissions.
SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions
This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft security solutions. 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 company runs critical applications on Windows Server virtual machines in Azure and on-premises. The security team wants to reduce the exposure of administrative ports (e.g., RDP, SSH) by requiring administrators to request just-in-time (JIT) access. The request should require approval from a central team, and the port should be opened only for a limited time. Which Microsoft security solution provides this JIT capability for both Azure and on-premises servers (when connected via Azure Arc)?
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 Defender for Cloud (with just-in-time VM access)
Microsoft Defender for Cloud's just-in-time (JIT) VM access capability reduces exposure to administrative ports (RDP, SSH) by locking down inbound traffic to Azure VMs and Azure Arc-enabled on-premises servers. It requires administrators to request access, which can be configured to require approval from a central team, and automatically opens the specified ports for a limited time before closing them again. This directly matches the scenario's need for JIT access with approval and time-limited port opening across hybrid environments.
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.
- ✗
Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Why it's wrong here
PIM provides just-in-time and approval workflows for Azure AD roles and Azure resource roles, but not for administrative ports on virtual machines.
- ✗
Microsoft Defender for Identity
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Identity monitors on-premises Active Directory for identity attacks, but does not offer just-in-time access to server ports.
- ✓
Microsoft Defender for Cloud (with just-in-time VM access)
Why this is correct
Defender for Cloud's JIT feature allows you to manage and approve temporary access to management ports (RDP, SSH) on Azure VMs and, via Azure Arc, on on-premises servers, thereby reducing the attack surface.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Cloud Apps is a CASB that provides visibility and control over cloud applications, not just-in-time access to VM ports.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Privileged Identity Management (PIM) with just-in-time VM access because both involve 'just-in-time' and 'approval,' but PIM controls role activation in Azure AD/Entra ID, not network-level port access to virtual machines.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Defender for Cloud's JIT works by creating network security group (NSG) rules or Azure Firewall policies that deny all inbound traffic to specified ports (e.g., 3389, 22) by default. When a user requests access, the solution temporarily creates an allow rule with a source IP (the user's current public IP) and a time-to-live (TTL) typically ranging from 1 to 24 hours, after which the rule is automatically removed. For on-premises servers connected via Azure Arc, the same JIT policy is enforced by the Azure Arc agent, which communicates with Defender for Cloud to apply local Windows Firewall rules, ensuring consistent protection across hybrid workloads.
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
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
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-900 question test?
Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions — This question tests Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Microsoft Defender for Cloud (with just-in-time VM access) — Microsoft Defender for Cloud's just-in-time (JIT) VM access capability reduces exposure to administrative ports (RDP, SSH) by locking down inbound traffic to Azure VMs and Azure Arc-enabled on-premises servers. It requires administrators to request access, which can be configured to require approval from a central team, and automatically opens the specified ports for a limited time before closing them again. This directly matches the scenario's need for JIT access with approval and time-limited port opening across hybrid environments.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 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 11, 2026
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.
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