SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions
You are a security engineer for a company that uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud. The company has Azure subscriptions and on-premises servers. The security team wants to ensure that all supported machines are automatically provisioned with the Log Analytics agent to collect security-related data. You need to configure the auto-provisioning setting in Defender for Cloud. Which setting should you enable?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that separate settings for Azure VMs and Azure Arc machines must be enabled individually, when a single option to provision for all supported machines exists.
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
✓
Auto-provisioning of the Log Analytics agent for all supported machines
Defender for Cloud's auto-provisioning setting for the Log Analytics agent across all supported machines ensures that both Azure VMs and on-premises servers connected through Azure Arc automatically receive the agent. This is the correct configuration to collect security data from all machines without manual intervention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Auto-provisioning of the Log Analytics agent for all supported machines
Why this is correct
Defender for Cloud offers an auto-provisioning option that deploys the Log Analytics agent to all supported machines, including Azure VMs and on-premises servers connected via Azure Arc. Enabling this setting ensures that both Azure and non-Azure machines receive the agent automatically, satisfying the requirement to collect security data from all supported machines without manual installation.
- ✗
Log Analytics agent for Azure VMs
Why it's wrong here
The setting 'Log Analytics agent for Azure VMs' only applies to Azure virtual machines and does not cover on-premises servers. Since the company also has on-premises servers, enabling only this setting would leave those machines without the agent, failing the requirement to provision all supported machines. Auto-provisioning for both Azure and non-Azure machines is needed.
- ✗
Auto-provisioning of the Microsoft Dependency Agent
Why it's wrong here
The Microsoft Dependency Agent is used for mapping network dependencies and does not collect security-related data for Defender for Cloud. It is not a replacement for the Log Analytics agent. Enabling only this would not fulfill the requirement to provision the Log Analytics agent for security data collection, as it serves a different purpose entirely.
- ✗
Log Analytics agent for Azure Arc-connected machines
Why it's wrong here
This setting applies only to machines connected via Azure Arc, which includes on-premises servers but excludes native Azure VMs. Enabling only this would not provision Azure VMs. The requirement covers both Azure and on-premises machines, so a single setting that targets only Arc-connected machines is insufficient. A combined approach or a setting that covers both is required.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Microsoft Security Baselines
Key term
Defender for Cloud
Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a cloud security posture management (CSPM) and cloud workload protection platform (CWPP) that provides unified security management and threat protection across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.