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. A key principle to apply: aIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts.. 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 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?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Automated investigation and response (AIR)
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.
Key principle: AIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Attack simulation training
Why it's wrong here
This is a training tool to simulate attacks, not an automated response to real reported emails.
✓
Automated investigation and response (AIR)
Why this is correct
Correct: AIR can be configured to automatically investigate and remediate threats in user-reported emails.
Related concept
AIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts.
✗
Campaign views
Why it's wrong here
Campaign views provide analysis of ongoing campaigns but do not automate response.
✗
Threat Explorer
Why it's wrong here
Threat Explorer is a tool for manual investigation of threats, not automation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Attack simulation training' (a proactive training tool) with the automated response capability, or they think 'Threat Explorer' or 'Campaign views' can automate responses, when in fact those are manual investigation and visualization tools, not automated response engines.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AIR in Defender for Office 365 leverages a set of predefined playbooks that are triggered by alerts, including the 'User reported phishing email' alert. The playbook automatically collects the email, detonates URLs and attachments in a sandbox, checks reputation against Microsoft's threat intelligence, and if confirmed malicious, applies remediation actions like moving the email to quarantine, deleting it from all mailboxes, and blocking the sender at the tenant level. A subtle behavior is that AIR can also automatically create an incident in Microsoft 365 Defender, which includes a detailed investigation graph showing the attack chain.
KKey Concepts to Remember
AIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts.
It reduces manual workload for security operations teams.
AIR can be configured to respond to user-reported phishing.
Automated actions include soft-deleting emails and blocking senders.
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
AIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts.
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. AIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts. 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.
Review aIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts., then practise related SC-200 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender XDR — This question tests Mitigate threats using Microsoft Defender XDR — AIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Automated investigation and response (AIR) — 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.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Review aIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts., then practise related SC-200 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
AIR automates investigation and remediation of security alerts.
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