You will deploy a new line-of-business application to an Azure VM running Windows Server and need to prevent that application from spawning child processes. Which protection feature should you enable on the VM?

Exploit protection is the correct choice because it offers granular control over system processes, including the ability to prevent child processes from being spawned. This feature is part of Windows Security and allows administrators to configure exploit mitigation techniques at the system or individual program level, directly addressing the requirement to prevent an application from spawning child processes. Microsoft Defender Credential Guard protects credential information, not process behavior. Microsoft Defender Application Control (formerly Windows Defender Application Control) focuses on restricting which applications can run, not how they behave once running. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen protects against phishing and malware from web-based sources.