The answer is to review the identity timeline for the affected user account. This is correct because the identity timeline in Defender for Identity provides a chronological sequence of all activities associated with a specific user, making it the most direct tool to check lateral movement from a Kerberos authentication alert. When a suspicious Kerberos attempt is detected, the timeline reveals whether the account subsequently accessed other systems, which is the hallmark of lateral movement. On the MS-102 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between identity-focused and device-focused investigation tools; a common trap is choosing the device timeline, which only shows events on a single machine rather than cross-system user behavior. Remember that lateral movement follows the user, not the device, so always check the identity timeline first. A useful memory tip: "Identity for movement, device for events."
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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Identity. You receive an alert about a suspicious Kerberos authentication attempt from a domain controller. You need to determine if the account was compromised by checking for lateral movement. What should you do in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review the identity timeline for the affected user account.
Option B is correct because the identity timeline in Defender for Identity shows the sequence of activities for a user, helping to identify lateral movement. Option A is wrong because the device timeline shows events on a device, not user identity activities across multiple devices. Option C is wrong because the incident graph shows related alerts but not the detailed user activity timeline. Option D is wrong because the advanced hunting schema for IdentityLogonEvents can be used, but the identity timeline is the most direct tool for investigating lateral movement.
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.
✗
Review the incident graph for the related alert.
Why it's wrong here
Incident graph shows related alerts and entities but not the detailed user activity sequence.
✓
Review the identity timeline for the affected user account.
Why this is correct
Identity timeline provides a chronological view of user activities, including logons and resource access, to detect lateral movement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Run an advanced hunting query for IdentityLogonEvents.
Why it's wrong here
While advanced hunting can be used, the identity timeline is the recommended built-in tool for investigating lateral movement.
✗
Review the device timeline for the domain controller.
Why it's wrong here
Device timeline shows events on the domain controller, not the user's activities across other devices.
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Incident graph shows related alerts and entities but not the detailed user activity sequence.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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: Review the identity timeline for the affected user account. — Option B is correct because the identity timeline in Defender for Identity shows the sequence of activities for a user, helping to identify lateral movement. Option A is wrong because the device timeline shows events on a device, not user identity activities across multiple devices. Option C is wrong because the incident graph shows related alerts but not the detailed user activity timeline. Option D is wrong because the advanced hunting schema for IdentityLogonEvents can be used, but the identity timeline is the most direct tool for investigating lateral movement.
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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