MS-102 Manage security and threats by using Microsoft Defender XDR Practice Test 11 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A security administrator wants to block executable files from running from writable system directories such as %TEMP% and %APPDATA% on Windows devices. Which attack surface reduction (ASR) rule should be enabled?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Block executable files from running unless they meet a prevalence, age, or trusted list criterion.. The ASR rule 'Block executable files from running unless they meet a prevalence, age, or trusted list criterion' (GUID: 01443614-cd74-433a-b99e-2ecdc07bfc25) is designed specifically to block executables (e.g., .exe, .dll, .scr) from running from writable locations like %TEMP% and %APPDATA% unless they have sufficient global prevalence, are older than a certain age, or are on a trusted list. This directly addresses the administrator's requirement to prevent untrusted executables from executing from these directories.

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Block Office communication application from creating child processes.

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Block credential stealing from the Windows local security authority subsystem (lsass.exe).

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Block executable content from email client and webmail.

Question 2

A security administrator needs to block outbound network connections from a compromised Windows device to a known malicious IP address. The solution should be configured in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and must work at the network layer, not relying on a user-installed client. Which feature should the administrator enable?

Accepted Answer

Network protection. Network protection, is correct because it is a Microsoft Defender for Endpoint feature that blocks outbound connections to malicious IP addresses and domains at the network layer, using the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) to enforce policies without requiring a user-installed client. This ensures the block applies system-wide, even if the device is compromised, as it operates before the TCP/IP stack processes the connection.

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Attack surface reduction (ASR) rules

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Custom detection rules (advanced hunting)

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Web protection (web threat protection)

Question 3

An administrator wants to configure automated investigation and response (AIR) in Microsoft 365 Defender so that when a high-severity malware alert is generated for a device from Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, the device is automatically isolated from the network without requiring a security analyst to approve the action. Which configuration step is required?

Accepted Answer

Set the automation level for device isolation to 'Full - remediate threats automatically'. Setting the automation level for device isolation to 'Full - remediate threats automatically' in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's automated investigation and response (AIR) configuration allows the system to automatically isolate a device when a high-severity malware alert is triggered, without requiring analyst approval. This automation level is specifically designed to execute remediation actions like device isolation immediately based on the alert's severity and the device's risk level.

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Set the automation level for device isolation to 'Semi - require approval for any remediation'

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Create a custom detection rule that automatically isolates the device

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Enable 'Automated device isolation' in the Microsoft 365 Defender settings

Question 4

A security administrator wants to monitor and control user downloads from a third-party SaaS application (e.g., Box) in real time. The administrator needs to apply session-level policies to block downloads based on risk. Which Microsoft 365 Defender feature should be used?

Accepted Answer

Conditional Access App Control. Conditional Access App Control (CAAC) is the correct feature because it enables real-time session-level monitoring and control of user activities within third-party SaaS applications like Box. By integrating with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, CAAC can apply policies to block downloads based on risk signals such as user location, device compliance, or anomalous behavior, all within the user's active session.

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Cloud Discovery

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App Connectors

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Anomaly Detection Policies

Question 5

A security administrator needs to block outbound network connections from a compromised Windows device to command-and-control servers. The solution must work at the network layer and be centrally managed via Microsoft 365 Defender. Which feature should the administrator enable?

Accepted Answer

Network Protection. Network Protection in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint blocks outbound connections to command-and-control (C2) servers at the network layer by inspecting traffic using the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP). It is centrally managed via Microsoft 365 Defender policies and does not require per-device firewall rule configuration, making it the correct choice for this scenario.

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Attack Surface Reduction rules

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Session control in Defender for Cloud Apps

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Windows Firewall with Advanced Security

Question 6

A security analyst wants to automatically create a Microsoft Teams message in a dedicated security channel whenever a Microsoft 365 Defender incident with severity 'High' is created. Which automation approach should the analyst use?

Accepted Answer

Power Automate. Power Automate is the correct choice because it provides a no-code/low-code workflow that can be triggered by Microsoft 365 Defender's 'When an incident is created or updated' connector, filter for severity 'High', and then post a message to a dedicated Teams channel via the 'Post a message in a chat or channel' action. This directly meets the requirement for automatic, event-driven notification without custom code.

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Automation rules in Defender

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Microsoft Graph API

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Action Center

Question 7

A security administrator wants to prevent Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) from creating child processes, which is a common technique used by malware to execute malicious code. Which attack surface reduction (ASR) rule should be enabled?

Accepted Answer

Block all Office applications from creating child processes. The ASR rule 'Block all Office applications from creating child processes' (GUID: D4F940AB-401B-4EFC-AADC-AD5F3C50688A) specifically prevents Word, Excel, and PowerPoint from spawning child processes such as cmd.exe, PowerShell, or wscript.exe. This directly mitigates a common malware technique where Office macros or exploits launch malicious executables. The rule is part of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's attack surface reduction capabilities and is designed to stop process injection and lateral movement without blocking legitimate Office functionality.

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Block executable files from running unless they meet a prevalence, age, or trusted list criteria

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Block Office applications from creating executable content

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Block Win32 API calls from Office macros

Question 8

A security administrator wants to block executable files from running from writable system directories such as %TEMP% and %APPDATA% on Windows devices. Which attack surface reduction (ASR) rule should be enabled?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps session policy. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps session policies use reverse proxy architecture to monitor and control user activities in real time. By configuring a session policy with the 'Block' action for the 'Upload file' activity on managed Windows devices, the administrator can prevent file uploads to personal cloud storage apps like Dropbox. Conditional Access App Control enforces this policy based on device compliance, allowing compliant mobile devices to bypass the block.

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Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Attack Surface Reduction rules

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Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Safe Attachments

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Microsoft Defender for Identity

Question 9

A security administrator needs to block executable files (e.g., .exe, .ps1) from running from the %TEMP% folder on Windows devices to prevent common malware execution. Which attack surface reduction (ASR) rule should be enabled?

Accepted Answer

Block executable files from running unless they meet a prevalence, age, or trusted list criterion. ASR rule 'Block executable files from running unless they meet a prevalence, age, or trusted list criterion' (GUID: 01443614-cd74-433a-b99e-2ecdc07bfc25) is designed specifically to block executables (including .exe, .ps1, .scr, .dll) from launching from locations like %TEMP%, %APPDATA%, and the Windows folder, which are common malware staging areas. This rule uses cloud-delivered reputation (prevalence and age) and a Microsoft-managed trusted list to allow legitimate files while blocking unknown or suspicious ones, directly addressing the requirement to prevent malware execution from %TEMP%.

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Block executable content from email client and webmail

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Block Office applications from creating child processes

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Block credential stealing from the Windows local security authority subsystem (lsass.exe)

Question 10

A security analyst needs to create a custom detection rule in Microsoft 365 Defender that triggers when a suspicious PowerShell process (e.g., using -EncodedCommand) is detected on a device, and within 5 minutes, an outbound network connection to a known malicious IP address occurs. Which two advanced hunting tables must be joined?

Accepted Answer

DeviceProcessEvents and DeviceNetworkEvents. The custom detection rule requires correlating a suspicious PowerShell process event with a subsequent outbound network connection to a malicious IP within a 5-minute window. DeviceProcessEvents contains process creation data (e.g., command line, process name) for detecting encoded PowerShell commands, while DeviceNetworkEvents logs network connections (destination IP, port, protocol). Joining these two tables on DeviceId and a time range allows the rule to identify the sequence of a process event followed by a network event from the same device.

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DeviceEvents and DeviceFileCertificateInfo

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IdentityLogonEvents and CloudAppEvents

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EmailEvents and EmailAttachmentInfo

Question 11

A security administrator wants to ensure that all email attachments are scanned in a sandbox environment and blocked if malicious, with email delivery delayed until scanning completes. Which Microsoft 365 Defender policy should the administrator configure?

Accepted Answer

Safe Attachments policy. Safe Attachments policy is the correct choice because it provides sandbox scanning of email attachments. It can be configured to delay email delivery until scanning is complete, blocking malicious attachments. This directly meets the requirement.

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Safe Links policy

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Anti-spam policy

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Anti-phishing policy

Question 12

A security analyst is using Microsoft 365 Defender Advanced Hunting to investigate a potential malware outbreak. The analyst needs to find all devices where a specific signed executable (known to be malicious) was created in the past 24 hours. Which Advanced Hunting table should be queried to detect the creation of the executable file?

Accepted Answer

DeviceFileEvents. The DeviceFileEvents table in Microsoft 365 Defender Advanced Hunting captures file creation, modification, and deletion events. Since the question specifically asks for detecting the creation of a signed executable file, this table provides the necessary data, including file name, path, and timestamp, to identify when and where the malicious executable was created.

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DeviceProcessEvents

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DeviceNetworkEvents

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DeviceRegistryEvents

Question 13

A security administrator wants to prevent users from uploading files to unsanctioned cloud storage apps (e.g., personal Dropbox or Google Drive) from managed Windows devices. The solution must use a reverse proxy to control file uploads in real time. Which Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps feature should the administrator configure?

Accepted Answer

Session policy. Session policy in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps uses reverse proxy capabilities to monitor and control user activities in real time. When configured with the 'Control file upload' action, it can block or restrict uploads to unsanctioned cloud storage apps like personal Dropbox or Google Drive from managed Windows devices, meeting the requirement exactly.

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App discovery policy

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Access policy

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Activity policy

Question 14

An organization wants to allow only specific company-approved USB devices (e.g., those with a specific hardware ID) on managed Windows devices. All other USB devices must be blocked. Which Microsoft 365 Defender feature should be configured?

Accepted Answer

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint device control. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint device control is the correct feature because it provides granular control over peripheral devices, including USB devices, based on hardware IDs. It allows administrators to create allow/block policies that enforce restrictions on managed Windows devices, ensuring only company-approved USB devices can be used.

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Attack surface reduction rules

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Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps session policy

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Conditional Access device compliance

Question 15

A security administrator wants to prevent attackers from stealing credentials by blocking access to the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) from untrusted processes. Which Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rule should the administrator enable to meet this requirement?

Accepted Answer

Block credential stealing from the Windows local security authority subsystem (lsass.exe).. The ASR rule 'Block credential stealing from the Windows local security authority subsystem (lsass.exe)' (GUID: 9e6c4e1f-7d60-472f-ba1a-a39ef669e4b2) directly prevents untrusted processes from accessing LSASS memory, which is a common technique used by attackers to dump credentials via tools like Mimikatz. This rule blocks attempts to open lsass.exe with specific access rights (e.g., PROCESS_VM_READ) from non-trusted processes, thereby protecting credential material stored in LSASS.

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Block executable files from running unless they meet a prevalence, age, or trusted list criterion.

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Block Office applications from creating child processes.

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Block persistence through Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) event subscription.