The answer is to reset the compromised user’s password and revoke all active sessions. This directly invalidates the stolen credentials, cutting off the attacker’s ability to reuse them for lateral movement across the network, even if the original workstation remains compromised. On the Microsoft Security Operations Analyst SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that containing lateral movement requires neutralizing the credential itself, not just isolating a device—a common trap is choosing to isolate the workstation, which stops local activity but does not prevent credential reuse from other endpoints. Remember the mnemonic “Reset and Revoke, Reuse is Broke” to recall that password reset plus session revocation is the definitive containment action for credential-based lateral movement.
SC-200 Respond to security incidents Practice Question
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.
You are investigating a lateral movement incident in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. The timeline shows that a user's credentials were used from a compromised workstation to access a sensitive server. Which action should you take to contain the incident?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Reset the compromised user's password and revoke all active sessions.
Resetting the compromised user's password and revoking sessions is the most effective way to stop lateral movement because it invalidates the stolen credentials. Isolating the workstation is necessary but does not stop credential reuse. Disabling the server account is too broad. Blocking network traffic may not be feasible.
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.
✗
Disable the sensitive server's network account.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the server account would disrupt services and may not be necessary.
✗
Isolate the compromised workstation only.
Why it's wrong here
Isolating the workstation prevents further attacks from that device, but the attacker may still use the credentials from elsewhere.
✗
Block all network traffic from the compromised workstation to the server.
Why it's wrong here
This only blocks one path; the attacker could use other workstations.
✓
Reset the compromised user's password and revoke all active sessions.
Why this is correct
This invalidates the stolen credentials and stops lateral movement regardless of source.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
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.
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: Reset the compromised user's password and revoke all active sessions. — Resetting the compromised user's password and revoking sessions is the most effective way to stop lateral movement because it invalidates the stolen credentials. Isolating the workstation is necessary but does not stop credential reuse. Disabling the server account is too broad. Blocking network traffic may not be feasible.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
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 →
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 Microsoft Defender XDR environment generates an incident indicating that a user's account was used to sign in from an anonymous IP address and then accessed sensitive data in SharePoint Online. After confirming the account is compromised, what should be your first containment step?
medium
A.Disable the user account in Microsoft Entra ID
B.Block the anonymous IP address in the firewall
C.Review audit logs to determine the extent of data access
✓ D.Revoke the user's session and require reauthentication using Microsoft Entra ID Protection
Why D: Option C is correct because revoking the user's session and requiring reauthentication immediately stops the ongoing access. Option A is wrong because disabling the account prevents further logins but does not terminate existing sessions. Option B is wrong because blocking the IP may affect other users. Option D is wrong because reviewing audit logs is investigation, not containment.
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.