The answer is the DeviceNetworkEvents table. This is correct because DeviceNetworkEvents specifically captures all network connection events, including outbound connections to IP addresses, ports, and protocols, along with the initiating process ID and remote IP—exactly the data needed to find outbound network connections from a process to known malicious IPs on a specific device. On the Microsoft Security Operations Analyst SC-200 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between advanced hunting tables: DeviceProcessEvents only logs process creation events, not network activity, making it a common trap. A frequent memory tip is to remember that “Network” in the table name equals network traffic, while “Process” equals process lifecycle events. For this scenario, always think “DeviceNetworkEvents for network connections, DeviceProcessEvents for process starts.”
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 incident in Microsoft 365 Defender. The analyst wants to view all processes that initiated outbound network connections to known malicious IPs on a specific device. Which advanced hunting table should the analyst query?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
DeviceNetworkEvents
The DeviceNetworkEvents table in Microsoft 365 Defender captures network connection events, including outbound connections to IP addresses, ports, and protocols. To investigate processes that initiated outbound connections to known malicious IPs on a specific device, this table provides the necessary data, such as the initiating process ID, remote IP, and port. The DeviceProcessEvents table only logs process creation events, not network activity, making it unsuitable for this query.
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.
✓
DeviceNetworkEvents
Why this is correct
Correct. This table logs outbound network connections, including destination IP and the process that initiated the connection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
DeviceProcessEvents
Why it's wrong here
This table captures process creation events, not the network connections those processes make.
✗
DeviceFileEvents
Why it's wrong here
This table logs file creation, modification, and deletion events, not network connections.
✗
DeviceRegistryEvents
Why it's wrong here
This table tracks registry modifications, which are not relevant to network connections.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Microsoft often tests the distinction between process creation events (DeviceProcessEvents) and network connection events (DeviceNetworkEvents), trapping candidates who assume that process logs include network activity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The DeviceNetworkEvents table includes fields like RemoteIP, RemotePort, Protocol, and InitiatingProcessFileName, allowing analysts to filter by known malicious IPs (e.g., from threat intelligence feeds) and correlate with process activity. Under the hood, this data is collected via the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint sensor, which uses Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) to capture network events at the kernel level, ensuring even encrypted connections are logged. In a real-world ransomware scenario, an analyst might join DeviceNetworkEvents with DeviceProcessEvents on ProcessId to trace the parent process that spawned the malicious network activity.
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: DeviceNetworkEvents — The DeviceNetworkEvents table in Microsoft 365 Defender captures network connection events, including outbound connections to IP addresses, ports, and protocols. To investigate processes that initiated outbound connections to known malicious IPs on a specific device, this table provides the necessary data, such as the initiating process ID, remote IP, and port. The DeviceProcessEvents table only logs process creation events, not network activity, making it unsuitable for this query.
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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