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.
An analyst is investigating a ransomware outbreak using Microsoft 365 Defender Advanced Hunting. They need to find all devices where a file with the extension '.locked' was created within one hour after a known malicious process (e.g., 'ransomware.exe') was executed on the same device. Which two tables should be joined in the query? (Choose 2.)
DeviceProcessEvents
Correct. This table records process creation events, including the malicious executable.
DeviceNetworkEvents
Why wrong: This table logs network connections, not file creations or process events.
DeviceFileEvents
Correct. This table records file creation, modification, and deletion events.
DeviceRegistryEvents
Why wrong: This table logs registry changes, not file creations.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
DeviceProcessEvents
DeviceProcessEvents is correct because it logs process creation events, including the execution of 'ransomware.exe'. This table is essential to identify the timestamp and device where the malicious process ran, which serves as the starting point for the time-bound investigation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
DeviceProcessEvents
Why this is correct
Correct. This table records process creation events, including the malicious executable.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
DeviceNetworkEvents
Why it's wrong here
This table logs network connections, not file creations or process events.
DeviceFileEvents
Why this is correct
Correct. This table records file creation, modification, and deletion events.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
DeviceRegistryEvents
Why it's wrong here
This table logs registry changes, not file creations.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may mistakenly choose DeviceNetworkEvents thinking network activity is key, but the question specifically requires file creation events, which only DeviceFileEvents provides.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Advanced Hunting queries join tables on DeviceId and Timestamp fields. The one-hour window requires a time-bound join using a BETWEEN clause or a subquery to correlate process execution time with file creation events. In real-world scenarios, ransomware often spawns multiple processes and creates many encrypted files, so joining DeviceProcessEvents with DeviceFileEvents on DeviceId and a time range is the standard pattern for lateral movement and encryption detection.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
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FAQ
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender XDR — This question tests Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender XDR — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: DeviceProcessEvents — DeviceProcessEvents is correct because it logs process creation events, including the execution of 'ransomware.exe'. This table is essential to identify the timestamp and device where the malicious process ran, which serves as the starting point for the time-bound investigation.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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