The answer is EmailEvents and DeviceEvents, as this pair is required to join advanced hunting tables for detecting phishing email delivery and link clicks. EmailEvents records the delivery of a phishing email to a user’s inbox, including the unique NetworkMessageId, while DeviceEvents captures the subsequent user action of clicking a URL, often with an ActionType like ‘PhishClick’ or ‘UrlClick’. By joining these two tables on the NetworkMessageId, you can correlate the delivered email with the specific link click event, confirming the full attack chain. On the MS-102 exam, this tests your ability to trace a phishing incident from inbox to endpoint, a common scenario in threat hunting questions. A frequent trap is choosing EmailEvents with EmailUrlInfo or UrlClickEvents, but DeviceEvents is the correct table for client-side click actions. Memory tip: think “Email for the inbox, Device for the click” — the NetworkMessageId is the bridge that links delivery to action.
MS-102 Practice Question: Manage security and threats by using Microsoft Defender XDR
This MS-102 practice question tests your understanding of manage security and threats by using microsoft defender xdr. 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 security analyst wants to search for instances where a user received a phishing email that was delivered to their inbox, and then later clicked a link within that email that led to a known malicious domain. Which two advanced hunting tables should be joined to identify both the email delivery and the link click events? (Choose the option that correctly identifies the primary table pair.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Correct. EmailEvents tracks email delivery and DeviceEvents (specifically URL click events) tracks link clicks from user devices.
B
EmailPostDeliveryEvents and DeviceNetworkEvents
Incorrect. EmailPostDeliveryEvents contains post-delivery actions like ZAP, but the primary table for delivery is EmailEvents. DeviceNetworkEvents shows network connections but not URL clicks specifically.
C
EmailUrlInfo and DeviceProcessEvents
Why wrong: Incorrect. EmailUrlInfo contains URLs in emails, but DeviceProcessEvents tracks process creations, not URL clicks.
D
EmailEvents and DeviceLogonEvents
Why wrong: Incorrect. DeviceLogonEvents tracks user logins, not link clicks from emails.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
EmailEvents and DeviceEvents
To correlate a phishing email that was delivered to a user's inbox with a subsequent link click to a known malicious domain, you need to join the EmailEvents table (which records email delivery events, including the delivery action and the unique NetworkMessageId) with the DeviceEvents table (which captures user actions such as clicking a URL, including the ActionType 'PhishClick' or 'UrlClick'). This join allows you to match the email's NetworkMessageId with the click event's NetworkMessageId, linking the delivered email to the specific link click.
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.
✓
EmailEvents and DeviceEvents
Why this is correct
Correct. EmailEvents tracks email delivery and DeviceEvents (specifically URL click events) tracks link clicks from user devices.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
EmailPostDeliveryEvents and DeviceNetworkEvents
Why this is correct
Incorrect. EmailPostDeliveryEvents contains post-delivery actions like ZAP, but the primary table for delivery is EmailEvents. DeviceNetworkEvents shows network connections but not URL clicks specifically.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
EmailUrlInfo and DeviceProcessEvents
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. EmailUrlInfo contains URLs in emails, but DeviceProcessEvents tracks process creations, not URL clicks.
✗
EmailEvents and DeviceLogonEvents
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. DeviceLogonEvents tracks user logins, not link clicks from emails.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse DeviceNetworkEvents (which logs network connections) with DeviceEvents (which logs user actions like URL clicks), leading them to choose Option B, but DeviceNetworkEvents lacks the NetworkMessageId field required to correlate with the email delivery event.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Microsoft Defender for Office 365, the EmailEvents table stores a unique NetworkMessageId for each email, while DeviceEvents captures user click actions with the ActionType 'PhishClick' or 'UrlClick' and includes the same NetworkMessageId when the click originates from an email. The join is typically performed on NetworkMessageId and Timestamp (within a short window) to ensure the click is linked to the delivered email. In a real-world scenario, a security analyst might use a KQL query like `EmailEvents | where DeliveryAction == 'Delivered' | join DeviceEvents on NetworkMessageId` to identify users who clicked a malicious link after receiving a phishing email.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MS-102 question in full detail.
Manage security and threats by using Microsoft Defender XDR — This question tests Manage security and threats by using Microsoft Defender XDR — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: EmailEvents and DeviceEvents — To correlate a phishing email that was delivered to a user's inbox with a subsequent link click to a known malicious domain, you need to join the EmailEvents table (which records email delivery events, including the delivery action and the unique NetworkMessageId) with the DeviceEvents table (which captures user actions such as clicking a URL, including the ActionType 'PhishClick' or 'UrlClick'). This join allows you to match the email's NetworkMessageId with the click event's NetworkMessageId, linking the delivered email to the specific link click.
What should I do if I get this MS-102 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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