The correct actions are to block the recipient domain and place a legal hold on the user’s mailbox. Blocking the recipient domain immediately stops further data exfiltration via email by preventing any additional messages from reaching the malicious external address, while placing a legal hold preserves all mailbox content for forensic investigation and potential litigation, ensuring evidence is not tampered with or deleted. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your ability to prioritize containment and preservation over reactive or destructive steps; a common trap is choosing “disable the user account” too early, which could alert an insider threat, or “delete sent items,” which destroys evidence. Remember the memory tip: “Block the road, lock the box” — block the domain to stop the flow, and lock the mailbox with a legal hold to secure the evidence.
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.
Which TWO actions are appropriate when responding to a confirmed data exfiltration incident via email?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Block the recipient domain on the email gateway
Appropriate actions are to block the recipient domain and place a legal hold on the mailbox. Disabling the user account might be premature. Scanning the device is not directly for email. Deleting sent items is not forensic.
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.
✓
Block the recipient domain on the email gateway
Why this is correct
Prevents further emails to that domain.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Place a legal hold on the user's mailbox
Why this is correct
Preserves evidence for investigation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Disable the user's account immediately
Why it's wrong here
Not necessary if exfiltration is via email; account may be legit.
✗
Delete all sent items from the user's mailbox
Why it's wrong here
Destroys evidence.
✗
Run a full antivirus scan on the user's device
Why it's wrong here
Not directly related to email exfiltration.
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 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.
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: Block the recipient domain on the email gateway — Appropriate actions are to block the recipient domain and place a legal hold on the mailbox. Disabling the user account might be premature. Scanning the device is not directly for email. Deleting sent items is not forensic.
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.
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Question Discussion
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