- A
User-reported message settings
Why wrong: This controls how users report suspicious emails, not the actual blocking.
- B
SPF record for the sender domain
Why wrong: SPF is for sender authentication; the domain might be spoofing but the policy should still block based on reputation.
- C
Safe Attachments policy
Why wrong: Safe Attachments scans attachments, but the email might have bypassed if policies are lax.
- D
Anti-phishing policy in Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Anti-phishing policies can block emails from known malicious domains or impersonation attempts.
Question 1,623 of 1,639
SC-200 Respond to security incidents Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of respond to security incidents. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
You are investigating an incident where a user reported receiving a suspicious email with a malicious attachment. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 did not block it. The email originated from a known malicious sender domain. What configuration should you check first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Anti-phishing policy in Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Option D is correct because the anti-phishing policy in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is the primary configuration that evaluates sender reputation, impersonation attempts, and spoof intelligence. Since the email originated from a known malicious sender domain and was not blocked, the anti-phishing policy's spoof settings or impersonation protection may be misconfigured or not applied to the affected user. This policy directly controls how Defender handles emails from malicious domains, making it the first place to check.
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.
- ✗
User-reported message settings
Why it's wrong here
This controls how users report suspicious emails, not the actual blocking.
- ✗
SPF record for the sender domain
Why it's wrong here
SPF is for sender authentication; the domain might be spoofing but the policy should still block based on reputation.
- ✗
Safe Attachments policy
Why it's wrong here
Safe Attachments scans attachments, but the email might have bypassed if policies are lax.
- ✓
Anti-phishing policy in Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Why this is correct
Anti-phishing policies can block emails from known malicious domains or impersonation attempts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the anti-phishing policy with Safe Attachments or SPF records, but the anti-phishing policy is the correct first check because it directly handles domain-based threats and spoofing, while Safe Attachments focuses on file analysis and SPF is a DNS record not configurable within Defender.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The anti-phishing policy in Defender for Office 365 includes spoof intelligence, impersonation protection (for users, domains, and internal domains), and mailbox intelligence. When a known malicious sender domain is involved, the policy's 'Spoof' setting (enabled by default) uses machine learning to analyze sender authentication results (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and sender reputation. If the policy is not applied to the user (e.g., due to a custom policy scope or priority misconfiguration), or if spoof intelligence is disabled, the email bypasses domain-based blocking. In a real-world scenario, an attacker might use a domain that is known but not yet in the tenant's block list, requiring the anti-phishing policy's 'Blocked senders' list or spoof intelligence to be tuned.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
Respond to security incidents — This question tests Respond to security incidents — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Anti-phishing policy in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 — Option D is correct because the anti-phishing policy in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is the primary configuration that evaluates sender reputation, impersonation attempts, and spoof intelligence. Since the email originated from a known malicious sender domain and was not blocked, the anti-phishing policy's spoof settings or impersonation protection may be misconfigured or not applied to the affected user. This policy directly controls how Defender handles emails from malicious domains, making it the first place to check.
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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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