Question 482 of 1,639
Respond to security incidentsmediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

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.

Your company uses Microsoft Sentinel as its SIEM. You are investigating an incident where a user reported receiving a phishing email that appeared to come from the CEO requesting a wire transfer. The user did not respond. However, the incident also contains alerts from Microsoft Defender for Office 365 indicating that other users clicked on a malicious link in a similar email. The email was sent to 100 users. The company has Microsoft Defender for Endpoint deployed on all devices. The incident requires immediate containment to prevent further compromise. What should you do 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

Block the malicious URL using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.

Option B is correct because blocking the malicious URL using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (now part of Microsoft 365 Defender) immediately prevents all users from accessing the phishing link, stopping further compromise at the network level. This is the fastest containment action as it applies a URL block across the tenant without requiring individual mailbox or device actions. The incident involves multiple users clicking the link, so a URL block is the most efficient first step to halt the attack chain.

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.

  • Run a threat hunting query to find all users who clicked the link.

    Why it's wrong here

    Investigation should follow containment.

  • Block the malicious URL using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.

    Why this is correct

    Stops access to the URL across all devices.

    Clue confirmation

    The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • Isolate the device of the user who reported the email.

    Why it's wrong here

    The user didn't click; isolation is not needed.

  • Delete the email from all users' mailboxes using Microsoft 365 Defender.

    Why it's wrong here

    Deletion doesn't prevent access if users already clicked.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates confuse containment with investigation or remediation, often choosing to delete the email (D) or isolate a device (C) instead of recognizing that blocking the URL is the fastest way to stop all users from accessing the malicious link, which is the immediate containment priority.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps uses URL threat intelligence and real-time session controls to block malicious URLs at the proxy level, applying the block to all users and devices regardless of client or browser. This action leverages the built-in URL detonation and reputation services in Microsoft 365 Defender, which can block the URL even if it is accessed from a different email or web request. In a real-world scenario, attackers often reuse the same URL across multiple campaigns, so blocking it in Defender for Cloud Apps provides a tenant-wide, persistent block that also covers future attempts.

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 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

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.

Related practice questions

Related SC-200 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Practice this exam

Start a free SC-200 practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

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: Block the malicious URL using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. — Option B is correct because blocking the malicious URL using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (now part of Microsoft 365 Defender) immediately prevents all users from accessing the phishing link, stopping further compromise at the network level. This is the fastest containment action as it applies a URL block across the tenant without requiring individual mailbox or device actions. The incident involves multiple users clicking the link, so a URL block is the most efficient first step to halt the attack chain.

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.

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 →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

More SC-200 practice questions

Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026

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.

Loading comments…

Sign in to join the discussion.

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.