The answer is Automated investigation and response (AIR) in Microsoft Defender XDR. This feature is correct because it uses built-in playbooks and machine learning to automatically contain confirmed high-severity incidents, such as isolating a device, without requiring manual SOC intervention. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this tests your understanding of how AIR differs from manual response actions or simple alert suppression—a common trap is confusing AIR with basic automation rules that only trigger notifications. Remember that AIR is designed for autonomous remediation after an incident is confirmed, not just detection. A useful memory tip is to think of AIR as the “auto-pilot” for high-severity incidents: once the alert is verified, it takes immediate containment actions like device isolation, reducing the attacker’s dwell time.
SC-100 Practice Question: Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities. 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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Defender XDR to detect and respond to threats. The SOC team wants to automatically isolate a device when a high-severity incident is confirmed. Which automation feature should you configure?
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 (AIR)
Automated investigation and response (AIR) in Microsoft Defender XDR is designed to automatically respond to confirmed high-severity incidents, including isolating devices, without manual intervention. This feature leverages playbooks and machine learning to contain threats rapidly, aligning with the SOC's requirement for automatic isolation upon incident confirmation.
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.
✗
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Safe Attachments policy
Why it's wrong here
Safe Attachments is for email, not device isolation.
✓
Automated investigation and response (AIR)
Why this is correct
AIR can automatically isolate devices based on incident severity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Manual device isolation from Microsoft 365 Defender portal
Why it's wrong here
Manual isolation requires human intervention.
✗
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's endpoint detection and response (EDR)
Why it's wrong here
EDR provides detection, not automatic isolation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse EDR's detection capabilities with automated response, forgetting that AIR is the specific feature that orchestrates and executes automatic containment actions like device isolation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AIR uses predefined automation levels (e.g., full, semi-automated) and leverages the Microsoft 365 Defender incident response playbook to execute actions such as device isolation, file quarantine, and process termination. Under the hood, AIR evaluates the incident's severity and confidence level, then triggers a device isolation command via the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint API, which sends a network-level block to the device's firewall, preventing all inbound and outbound traffic except to the Defender service. In a real-world scenario, if a device is infected with ransomware, AIR can isolate it within seconds, preventing lateral movement while the SOC investigates.
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 SC-100 question in full detail.
Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities — This question tests Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities — 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 (AIR) — Automated investigation and response (AIR) in Microsoft Defender XDR is designed to automatically respond to confirmed high-severity incidents, including isolating devices, without manual intervention. This feature leverages playbooks and machine learning to contain threats rapidly, aligning with the SOC's requirement for automatic isolation upon incident confirmation.
What should I do if I get this SC-100 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) and wants to implement automated investigation and response (AIR) for ransomware. You need to ensure that when a suspicious file is detected, the investigation is automatically started and the file is contained. What should you configure?
medium
✓ A.Configure the automated investigation and response capabilities in MDE.
B.Create a custom detection rule in Microsoft 365 Defender.
C.Enable attack surface reduction rules.
D.Add the file hash to the indicators of compromise list.
Why A: Option B is correct because AIR automates investigation and containment actions. Option A is wrong because attack surface reduction rules prevent but don't automate response. Option C is wrong because indicators of compromise are for blocking known threats. Option D is wrong because custom detections create alerts but don't automate response.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
Question Discussion
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