The answer is that AIR policies in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 can automatically quarantine the email. This action, technically a soft-delete, moves the malicious message from the user’s inbox to the Recoverable Items folder, where it remains restorable by an administrator for a set period. This is a standard remediation step for confirmed threats, as automated investigation and response (AIR) uses playbooks to contain verified phishing or malware emails without manual intervention. On the SC-200 exam, this concept tests your understanding of the specific remediation actions available in Defender for Office 365 AIR, often contrasting them with actions like hard-delete or block URL, which are not automatic defaults. A common trap is assuming AIR can permanently purge emails or block senders automatically—it cannot; quarantine is the primary automated action. Memory tip: think “AIR drops it in the bin, not the incinerator”—quarantine preserves recoverability, aligning with the SOC’s need for forensic flexibility.
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 operations center (SOC) is configuring automated investigation and response (AIR) for Microsoft Defender for Office 365. Which of the following actions can be automatically taken when a malicious email is detected by AIR policies? (Choose all that apply.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Soft delete the email from user mailbox
Option A is correct because AIR policies in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 can automatically soft-delete a malicious email from a user's mailbox. Soft deletion moves the email to the Recoverable Items folder, allowing administrators to restore it if needed, which is a standard remediation action for confirmed threats.
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.
✓
Soft delete the email from user mailbox
Why this is correct
AIR can be configured to soft delete emails, moving them to the Deleted Items folder.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Add the sender to the user's blocked sender list
Why it's wrong here
Blocking the sender is not an automatic action in AIR; it must be done through other mechanisms.
✓
Quarantine the email
Why this is correct
AIR can automatically quarantine malicious emails to isolate them from users.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Permanently delete the email from all mailboxes
Why it's wrong here
Permanent deletion is not supported as an AIR action; soft delete or quarantine are the options.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse manual user-side actions (like adding a sender to a blocked list) with automated AIR remediation actions, or assume that 'permanently delete' is a valid automated response when Microsoft deliberately avoids irreversible actions in AIR to prevent data loss.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, AIR in Defender for Office 365 uses automated playbooks triggered by threat detection signals (e.g., from Microsoft Defender for Office 365 P1/P2). The soft delete action leverages the Exchange Online Mailbox Replication Service to move items to the Deletions subfolder of Recoverable Items, which retains the item for the deleted item retention period (default 14 days, configurable up to 30 days). This ensures compliance and eDiscovery capabilities are not compromised.
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-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: Soft delete the email from user mailbox — Option A is correct because AIR policies in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 can automatically soft-delete a malicious email from a user's mailbox. Soft deletion moves the email to the Recoverable Items folder, allowing administrators to restore it if needed, which is a standard remediation action for confirmed threats.
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.
About these practice questions
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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. An organization uses Microsoft Defender for Office 365. The security team wants to automatically investigate and respond to user-reported phishing emails. Which feature should they enable to automate this process?
easy
A.Attack simulation training
✓ B.Automated investigation and response (AIR)
C.Campaign views
D.Threat Explorer
Why B: Automated investigation and response (AIR) in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 automatically triggers a playbook when a user reports a phishing email via the Report Message or Report Phishing add-in. It collects the email, analyzes it using threat intelligence and machine learning, and takes remediation actions such as soft-deleting the message or blocking the sender, all without manual intervention.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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