The answer is Automated Investigation and Response (AIR) in Microsoft Defender XDR. This capability is correct because it orchestrates predefined or custom playbooks to automatically investigate and remediate alerts across Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Office 365, and Microsoft Entra ID, correlating signals from these sources to take actions like isolating devices or blocking accounts without manual intervention. On the MS-102 exam, this question tests your understanding of how AIR unifies threat response across the Microsoft 365 Defender suite, often appearing as a scenario where you must distinguish it from manual incident response or basic alert policies. A common trap is confusing AIR with simple email filtering or conditional access policies, but remember that AIR specifically triggers automated investigation and remediation workflows. Memory tip: think of AIR as the “auto-pilot” for security—it flies the investigation and remediation plane across Defender, Office, and Entra ID so you don’t have to touch the controls.
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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 team wants to automatically investigate and remediate alerts generated from Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Office 365, and Microsoft Entra ID. Which Microsoft Defender XDR capability should be configured?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Automated Investigation and Response
Automated Investigation and Response (AIR) in Microsoft Defender XDR is the correct capability because it automatically triggers playbooks to investigate and remediate alerts across Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Office 365, and Microsoft Entra ID. AIR uses predefined or custom automation rules to correlate signals from these sources, run investigations, and apply remediation actions like isolating devices or blocking accounts without manual intervention.
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.
✗
Threat Analytics
Why it's wrong here
Threat Analytics provides reports on active threats, not automated incident response.
✓
Automated Investigation and Response
Why this is correct
AIR automates the investigation and response across multiple domains including endpoints, email, and identities.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Advanced Hunting
Why it's wrong here
Advanced Hunting is a query-based tool for hunting threats, not automated response.
✗
Secure Score
Why it's wrong here
Secure Score measures an organization's security posture but does not automate investigations.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Threat Analytics (which provides threat intelligence) with Automated Investigation and Response (which executes automated remediation), leading them to select A when the question explicitly asks for a capability that 'automatically investigates and remediates' alerts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AIR leverages a set of automation levels (e.g., 'Full - remediate automatically' or 'Semi - require approval for certain actions') defined in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal. When an alert is generated, AIR evaluates the incident against these rules, runs playbooks that may include steps like collecting forensic data, running antivirus scans, or blocking IPs, and logs all actions in the action center for audit. In a real-world scenario, a phishing alert from Office 365 could trigger AIR to automatically disable the compromised user account in Entra ID while simultaneously isolating the user's device in Defender for Endpoint.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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: Automated Investigation and Response — Automated Investigation and Response (AIR) in Microsoft Defender XDR is the correct capability because it automatically triggers playbooks to investigate and remediate alerts across Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Office 365, and Microsoft Entra ID. AIR uses predefined or custom automation rules to correlate signals from these sources, run investigations, and apply remediation actions like isolating devices or blocking accounts without manual intervention.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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