Quick Answer
The correct first step to contain a compromised user account in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps is to suspend the user's account in Microsoft Entra ID. This immediately revokes all access tokens and prevents the attacker from exfiltrating sensitive data, such as the payment information in the SharePoint file, while preserving the account for forensic investigation. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your ability to prioritize containment over remediation—a common trap is choosing to block the IP address, but attackers using Tor exit nodes can easily switch IPs, making that ineffective. Another trap is deleting the file, which destroys evidence, or notifying the user, which could tip off the attacker. Remember the containment-first principle: stop the bleeding before investigating. A useful memory tip is "Suspend first, ask questions later"—always disable the account immediately to halt unauthorized access, then proceed with analysis and remediation.
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of respond to security incidents. 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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps and Microsoft Sentinel. You receive an alert indicating that a user from the finance department accessed a sensitive SharePoint file from an IP address associated with a known malicious Tor exit node. The file contains payment information. The user's account has not been disabled. What should you do first to contain the incident?
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.
Delete the SharePoint file from the site
Why wrong: Deleting the file may destroy evidence.
Notify the user of the suspicious activity
Why wrong: Notifying the user could alert the attacker.
Block the IP address in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Why wrong: Blocking IP is less effective; attacker can change IP.
Suspend the user's account in Microsoft Entra ID
Suspending the account prevents further access immediately.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Suspend the user's account in Microsoft Entra ID
Option C is correct because the first step is to suspend the user's access to the compromised account to prevent further data exfiltration. Option A is wrong because blocking the IP is less effective as the attacker can change IPs. Option B is wrong because deleting the file may destroy evidence. Option D is wrong because notifying the user could alert the attacker.
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.
Delete the SharePoint file from the site
Why it's wrong here
Deleting the file may destroy evidence.
Notify the user of the suspicious activity
Why it's wrong here
Notifying the user could alert the attacker.
Block the IP address in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Why it's wrong here
Blocking IP is less effective; attacker can change IP.
Suspend the user's account in Microsoft Entra ID
Why this is correct
Suspending the account prevents further access immediately.
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
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Identify which SC-200 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Respond to security incidents — This question tests Respond to security incidents — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Suspend the user's account in Microsoft Entra ID — Option C is correct because the first step is to suspend the user's access to the compromised account to prevent further data exfiltration. Option A is wrong because blocking the IP is less effective as the attacker can change IPs. Option B is wrong because deleting the file may destroy evidence. Option D is wrong because notifying the user could alert the attacker.
Identify which SC-200 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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 →
Same concept, more angles
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. Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. A security analyst receives an alert for a suspicious sign-in from an IP address in a sanctioned app. The analyst needs to immediately block the user from accessing the app. Which action should the analyst take?
mediumWhy A: Option C is correct because suspending the user in Microsoft Entra ID is the fastest way to block access across all apps. Option A is wrong because creating a block policy takes time. Option B is wrong because blocking the IP may affect other users. Option D is wrong because revoking session tokens may not prevent new sign-ins immediately.
Variation 2. Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. A security analyst discovers that a user's account has been compromised and is exfiltrating sensitive data from SharePoint Online. The analyst needs to immediately block the suspicious activities while allowing legitimate user activities to continue. What should the analyst do?
hardWhy B: Option C is correct because the 'Suspend user' action in Defender for Cloud Apps immediately blocks the user's access to cloud apps, stopping exfiltration. Option A is wrong because revoking all OAuth tokens might affect other apps and is less targeted. Option B is wrong because changing the password does not immediately stop active sessions. Option D is wrong because blocking the IP address may affect other users if the IP is shared.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
This SC-200 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SC-200 exam.
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