A security analyst is using advanced hunting in Microsoft 365 Defender to detect lateral movement. The analyst wants to find all devices where a specific user account had an interactive logon, and then identify which of those devices subsequently initiated outbound Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections to other internal IP addresses. Which KQL approach is most efficient for this investigation?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Best answer
Use DeviceLogonEvents and DeviceNetworkEvents with a join on DeviceId and a time range
DeviceLogonEvents provides logon data per device; DeviceNetworkEvents provides outbound connections. Joining by DeviceId within a short time after logon can reveal lateral movement via RDP.
Distractor review
Use IdentityLogonEvents and DeviceNetworkEvents with a join on IP address
IdentityLogonEvents tracks cloud application logons, not interactive device logons, so it is not suitable for detecting lateral movement between workstations.
Distractor review
Use DeviceProcessEvents and DeviceNetworkEvents with a join on DeviceId
DeviceProcessEvents captures process executions, but lateral movement is better identified through interactive logon events rather than process creation.
Distractor review
Use EmailEvents and DeviceLogonEvents with a join on RecipientEmail
EmailEvents pertains to email messages and does not provide information about network connections or lateral movement.
Common exam trap
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.
Technical deep dive
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.
Related practice questions
Related SC-200 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A Microsoft Sentinel scheduled analytics rule detects impossible travel but creates too many duplicate incidents for the same user within a short period. Which two rule settings should you tune? (Choose 2.)
Question 2
A phishing email was delivered to several users. The analyst wants to find all messages in the campaign, see delivery actions, and perform remediation from the Microsoft 365 Defender portal. Which tool should they use?
Question 3
A security analyst in Microsoft Defender for Cloud receives an alert that an Azure VM has a vulnerability with a high severity. The analyst wants to see the detailed finding, including the steps to remediate. Which blade or page should the analyst open?
Question 4
A company uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud to protect an Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster. The security team wants to receive security alerts about suspicious activities within the cluster, such as a container running with root privileges or attempts to read sensitive host paths. Which Defender for Cloud plan must be enabled to generate these alerts?
Question 5
A security analyst is configuring Microsoft Sentinel scheduled analytics rules to detect brute-force attacks on Microsoft Entra ID. Arrange the steps in the correct order from first to last.
Question 6
An organization uses Microsoft 365 Defender. A security analyst is investigating a malware incident on a user's device. The automated investigation and response (AIR) has already isolated the device from the network. The analyst now needs to collect a copy of a specific suspicious file from the device for further analysis. Which action should the analyst initiate from the device's entity page?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use DeviceLogonEvents and DeviceNetworkEvents with a join on DeviceId and a time range — DeviceLogonEvents contains interactive logon events on devices, and DeviceNetworkEvents contains outbound network connections. By joining these two tables on DeviceId with an appropriate time window, the analyst can correlate logons with subsequent RDP connections. IdentityLogonEvents (B) is for cloud identity logons, not device interactive logons. DeviceProcessEvents (C) is for process execution, and EmailEvents (D) for email events. Therefore, option A is correct.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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