The answer is Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI), which is the correct choice because it uses behavioral analytics and machine learning to detect advanced attacks like Pass-the-Hash, DCSync, and malicious Kerberos activity by monitoring domain controller traffic, including Kerberos authentication and NTLM relay, to identify anomalous patterns. On the SC-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of how Microsoft’s security solutions map to specific on-premises threats—a common trap is confusing MDI with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps or Azure AD Identity Protection, which focus on cloud or hybrid identity risks rather than on-premises AD attack chains. Remember the memory tip: “MDI for DCs” — if the attack targets domain controllers (DCSync, Pass-the-Hash, Kerberos abuse), think Microsoft Defender for Identity.
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. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 has on-premises Active Directory. They want to detect advanced attacks like Pass-the-Hash, DCSync, and malicious Kerberos activity using behavioral analytics. Which Microsoft security solution should they deploy on their domain controllers?
Why wrong: Defender for Endpoint protects endpoints (servers, workstations) from malware and advanced attacks but does not specialize in Active Directory protocol monitoring.
B
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Why wrong: Defender for Office 365 protects against threats in email, links, and collaboration tools, not on-premises AD attacks.
C
Microsoft Defender for Identity
Defender for Identity is specifically designed to detect identity-based attacks on on-premises AD using behavioral analytics.
D
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Why wrong: Defender for Cloud Apps provides visibility and control over cloud application usage, not on-premises AD security.
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
Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) is the correct solution because it uses behavioral analytics and machine learning to detect advanced attacks specifically targeting on-premises Active Directory, such as Pass-the-Hash, DCSync, and malicious Kerberos activity. MDI monitors domain controller traffic, including Kerberos authentication and NTLM relay, to identify anomalous patterns indicative of these attacks.
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 Defender for Endpoint
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Endpoint protects endpoints (servers, workstations) from malware and advanced attacks but does not specialize in Active Directory protocol monitoring.
✗
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Office 365 protects against threats in email, links, and collaboration tools, not on-premises AD attacks.
✓
Microsoft Defender for Identity
Why this is correct
Defender for Identity is specifically designed to detect identity-based attacks on on-premises AD using behavioral analytics.
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 provides visibility and control over cloud application usage, not on-premises AD security.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Microsoft Defender for Identity with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, assuming endpoint protection covers domain controllers, but MDI is specifically designed for Active Directory security and behavioral analytics against identity-based attacks.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
MDI works by installing a sensor on domain controllers that captures network traffic, including Kerberos ticket requests (TGT, TGS) and NTLM authentication attempts. It then uses machine learning models to detect anomalies such as abnormal Kerberos encryption type downgrades (e.g., from AES to RC4) or unusual DCSync replication requests (DRSGetNCChanges). In a real-world scenario, MDI can identify a Pass-the-Hash attack by correlating a single NTLM hash being used from multiple source IPs or devices.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-900 question in full detail.
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 Identity — Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) is the correct solution because it uses behavioral analytics and machine learning to detect advanced attacks specifically targeting on-premises Active Directory, such as Pass-the-Hash, DCSync, and malicious Kerberos activity. MDI monitors domain controller traffic, including Kerberos authentication and NTLM relay, to identify anomalous patterns indicative of these attacks.
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.
About these practice questions
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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. A company has a hybrid environment with on-premises Active Directory. The security team wants to detect advanced attacks such as pass-the-hash, malicious Kerberos ticket activity, and abnormal service account behavior. They want alerts from the on-premises environment to be integrated into Microsoft Defender for Cloud for centralized monitoring. Which Microsoft security solution should they deploy on their domain controllers?
medium
A.Microsoft Defender for Cloud (agentless)
✓ B.Microsoft Defender for Identity
C.Microsoft Defender for Office 365
D.Microsoft Entra ID Protection
Why B: Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) is the correct solution because it is specifically designed to detect advanced on-premises Active Directory attacks like pass-the-hash, malicious Kerberos ticket activity (e.g., Golden Ticket, Silver Ticket), and abnormal service account behavior. It integrates directly with Microsoft Defender for Cloud to provide centralized monitoring and alerting, fulfilling the requirement for on-premises domain controller protection.
Variation 2. A company maintains an on-premises Active Directory environment with over 10,000 domain-joined computers. The security team is concerned about advanced attacks that use stolen credentials to move laterally, such as pass-the-hash attacks or DCSync attacks targeting domain controllers. They need a solution that monitors on-premises Active Directory traffic and event logs to detect these identity-based threats and provides alerts for investigation. Which Microsoft security solution should they deploy?
medium
✓ A.Microsoft Defender for Identity
B.Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
C.Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
D.Microsoft Sentinel
Why A: Microsoft Defender for Identity is the correct solution because it is specifically designed to monitor on-premises Active Directory traffic and event logs to detect advanced identity-based threats like pass-the-hash, pass-the-ticket, and DCSync attacks. It uses behavioral analytics and machine learning to identify suspicious activities, such as anomalous Kerberos ticket requests or replication attempts, and provides real-time alerts for investigation.
Variation 3. A multinational company uses a hybrid infrastructure with on-premises Active Directory and Azure resources. They have deployed Microsoft Defender for Cloud to protect their Azure workloads. They now want to extend threat detection to their on-premises Active Directory by collecting security events from domain controllers to detect attacks like Golden Ticket, DCSync, and malicious Kerberos activity. The solution should integrate with Microsoft Sentinel for automated response. Which security solution should they deploy on the on-premises domain controllers?
hard
A.Microsoft Defender for Cloud
B.Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
✓ C.Microsoft Defender for Identity
D.Microsoft Sentinel
Why C: Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) is the correct solution because it is specifically designed to monitor on-premises Active Directory signals, including security events from domain controllers, to detect advanced identity-based attacks such as Golden Ticket, DCSync, and malicious Kerberos activity. MDI integrates natively with Microsoft Sentinel to enable automated response workflows, fulfilling the requirement for extending threat detection to on-premises AD.
Variation 4. A security team needs to detect and investigate suspicious activities in their on-premises Active Directory environment, such as pass-the-hash attacks, Kerberoasting, and unusual service account behavior. They also want to integrate these alerts with Microsoft Defender for Cloud for a unified view across hybrid workloads. Which Microsoft security solution should they deploy on-premises?
medium
✓ A.Microsoft Defender for Identity
B.Microsoft Defender for Office 365
C.Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
D.Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Why A: Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) is the correct solution because it is specifically designed to detect and investigate advanced threats in on-premises Active Directory environments, including pass-the-hash attacks, Kerberoasting, and anomalous service account behavior. It uses behavioral analytics and integrates directly with Microsoft Defender for Cloud to provide a unified view across hybrid workloads, enabling security teams to correlate on-premises AD signals with cloud alerts.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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