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.
An analyst wants to find all devices that have run a specific process named 'malware.exe' in the last 24 hours using Microsoft 365 Defender Advanced Hunting. Which table should be the primary source for this query?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
DeviceProcessEvents
The DeviceProcessEvents table in Microsoft 365 Defender Advanced Hunting is the primary source for querying process creation events, including the execution of a specific process name like 'malware.exe'. This table captures process creation and termination events, making it the correct choice for finding devices that have run a specific process within a given time frame.
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.
✓
DeviceProcessEvents
Why this is correct
DeviceProcessEvents logs process creation events, including the process name. Filtering on FileName == 'malware.exe' will return all executions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
DeviceEvents
Why it's wrong here
DeviceEvents is a general table for various events, but process creation is specifically captured in DeviceProcessEvents.
✗
DeviceFileEvents
Why it's wrong here
DeviceFileEvents logs file creation, modification, and deletion, not process execution.
✗
DeviceNetworkEvents
Why it's wrong here
DeviceNetworkEvents captures network connections, not local process execution.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse DeviceProcessEvents with DeviceEvents, assuming the latter covers all events, but DeviceEvents is limited to security alerts and audit events, not process creation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The DeviceProcessEvents table is populated by the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint sensor, which hooks into the Windows kernel to capture process creation events via ETW (Event Tracing for Windows). This table includes fields like ProcessCommandLine, FileName, and SHA1, enabling precise hunting for specific executables. In a real-world scenario, an analyst might join DeviceProcessEvents with DeviceNetworkEvents to correlate process execution with outbound connections to a known malicious IP.
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: DeviceProcessEvents — The DeviceProcessEvents table in Microsoft 365 Defender Advanced Hunting is the primary source for querying process creation events, including the execution of a specific process name like 'malware.exe'. This table captures process creation and termination events, making it the correct choice for finding devices that have run a specific process within a given time frame.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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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