The answer is to add a filter that excludes processes signed by a trusted certificate or running under specific service accounts. This refinement directly reduces false positives in Advanced Hunting for encoded commands by distinguishing between a known, legitimate administrative script and potentially malicious activity, as the security team’s concern is that a trusted script is triggering alerts. On the Microsoft 365 Administrator MS-102 exam, this scenario tests your ability to apply KQL filters in Microsoft Defender XDR to balance detection accuracy with operational noise, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly adjust thresholds or time ranges instead of targeting the root cause of false positives. A common memory tip is to think of “trusted signers and service accounts” as your whitelist—when hunting for encoded PowerShell commands, always ask if the process has a valid digital signature or runs under a known admin account before flagging it as suspicious.
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.
Exhibit
KQL query:
DeviceProcessEvents
| where Timestamp > ago(7d)
| where FileName in~ ("powershell.exe", "cmd.exe")
| where ProcessCommandLine has_any ("-EncodedCommand", "-e", "-enc")
| summarize Count = count() by DeviceName, FileName
| where Count > 5
Refer to the exhibit. You are analyzing a KQL query in Microsoft Defender XDR Advanced Hunting. The query returns a list of devices where PowerShell or cmd.exe with encoded commands executed more than 5 times in the last 7 days. The security team suspects that one of the devices is compromised due to excessive use of encoded commands. However, a legitimate administrative script uses encoded commands regularly. How can you refine the query to reduce false positives while still detecting potentially malicious activity?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add a filter to exclude processes signed by a trusted certificate or running under specific service accounts.
Option A is correct because adding a filter to exclude known administrative accounts or processes that are approved would reduce false positives. Option B is wrong because changing the time range to 1 day might miss legitimate administrative activity but does not target the false positive source. Option C is wrong because looking for only powershell.exe would miss cmd.exe encoded commands. Option D is wrong because increasing the count threshold to 10 might still include the legitimate script if it runs frequently.
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.
✗
Increase the Count threshold to 10.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing threshold might still include the legitimate script.
✓
Add a filter to exclude processes signed by a trusted certificate or running under specific service accounts.
Why this is correct
Excluding known trusted processes reduces false positives.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Remove cmd.exe from the FileName filter.
Why it's wrong here
This would miss potential cmd.exe attacks.
✗
Change the time range to 1 day instead of 7 days.
Why it's wrong here
Changing time range does not address the false positive source.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Identify which MS-102 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Add a filter to exclude processes signed by a trusted certificate or running under specific service accounts. — Option A is correct because adding a filter to exclude known administrative accounts or processes that are approved would reduce false positives. Option B is wrong because changing the time range to 1 day might miss legitimate administrative activity but does not target the false positive source. Option C is wrong because looking for only powershell.exe would miss cmd.exe encoded commands. Option D is wrong because increasing the count threshold to 10 might still include the legitimate script if it runs frequently.
What should I do if I get this MS-102 question wrong?
Identify which MS-102 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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