The answer is the Incident graph (attack story). This feature is correct because it provides a visual, interactive timeline that correlates device-to-device connections and process executions across the entire attack chain, allowing an analyst to visualize lateral movement from an initial compromised workstation to a domain controller in a single consolidated view. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of how Microsoft 365 Defender’s investigation tools map the full scope of an incident, often appearing as a scenario where you must distinguish the Incident graph from other features like the device timeline or advanced hunting. A common trap is confusing the device timeline, which only shows a single machine’s activity, with the Incident graph’s cross-device story. Remember the memory tip: “Graph grabs the whole gang”—the Incident graph links every device and process in the attack, not just one endpoint.
SC-200 Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender XDR Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of mitigate threats 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 is investigating a ransomware attack in Microsoft 365 Defender and needs to understand how the attacker moved laterally from an initial compromised workstation to a domain controller. Which feature should the analyst use to see a visual timeline of device-to-device connections and process executions?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Incident graph (attack story)
The Incident graph (attack story) in Microsoft 365 Defender provides a visual, interactive timeline that correlates alerts, device-to-device connections, and process executions across the entire attack chain. This allows the analyst to trace lateral movement from the initial compromised workstation to the domain controller in a single, consolidated view, which is exactly what the question requires.
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.
✗
Device timeline view for each affected device
Why it's wrong here
The device timeline shows events for a single device, not lateral movement between devices.
✓
Incident graph (attack story)
Why this is correct
This graph maps the entire incident, showing connections between devices and processes, ideal for tracing lateral movement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Advanced hunting with DeviceNetworkEvents and DeviceProcessEvents
Why it's wrong here
While these tables contain necessary data, manual queries are less efficient than the visual graph for understanding the big picture.
✗
Automated investigation report
Why it's wrong here
The report summarizes actions taken, not the full lateral movement path.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the single-device Device timeline view (Option A) with the multi-device Incident graph, failing to recognize that lateral movement analysis requires a cross-device perspective, not per-device logs.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The device timeline shows events for a single device, not lateral movement between devices.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Incident graph leverages the Microsoft 365 Defender correlation engine, which uses signals from Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Identity, and Defender for Office 365 to stitch together related alerts and activities into a unified attack story. It visualizes lateral movement by mapping Kerberos ticket usage, SMB connections, and remote service creation (e.g., PsExec, WMI) between devices, enabling analysts to quickly identify the pivot point from the workstation to the domain controller without writing KQL queries.
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 SC-200 question in full detail.
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender XDR — This question tests Mitigate threats 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: Incident graph (attack story) — The Incident graph (attack story) in Microsoft 365 Defender provides a visual, interactive timeline that correlates alerts, device-to-device connections, and process executions across the entire attack chain. This allows the analyst to trace lateral movement from the initial compromised workstation to the domain controller in a single, consolidated view, which is exactly what the question requires.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 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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Question Discussion
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