This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of perform threat hunting. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: inner Join. 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.
Exhibit
{
"QueryText": "DeviceNetworkEvents | where RemoteIPType == 'Public' and Timestamp > ago(30d) | summarize ConnectionCount = count() by DeviceName, RemoteIP | where ConnectionCount > 100 | join kind=inner (ThreatIntelligenceIndicator | where Active == true) on $left.RemoteIP == $right.NetworkIP",
"QueryDescription": "Hunt for devices making high-volume outbound connections to known threat intelligence IPs"
}
Refer to the exhibit. You are reviewing a custom hunting query in Microsoft Defender XDR. The query aims to identify devices with more than 100 outbound connections in the last 30 days to IPs that appear in active threat intelligence indicators. However, the query returns no results. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Exhibit
{
"QueryText": "DeviceNetworkEvents | where RemoteIPType == 'Public' and Timestamp > ago(30d) | summarize ConnectionCount = count() by DeviceName, RemoteIP | where ConnectionCount > 100 | join kind=inner (ThreatIntelligenceIndicator | where Active == true) on $left.RemoteIP == $right.NetworkIP",
"QueryDescription": "Hunt for devices making high-volume outbound connections to known threat intelligence IPs"
}
A
The RemoteIPType filter for 'Public' excludes all internal IPs, but devices connect to internal IPs mostly.
Why wrong: The query specifically looks for public IP connections; if devices don't connect to public IPs, the initial dataset is empty.
B
The join on RemoteIP and NetworkIP is mismatched because one is IPv4 and the other IPv6.
Why wrong: Both sides likely contain IP addresses in the same format; mismatched types would cause errors, not empty results.
C
The ThreatIntelligenceIndicator table does not contain any indicators with an Active status that match the remote IPs.
Inner join requires matching records; no active matching indicators leads to zero results.
D
The ConnectionCount threshold of 100 is too high; most devices do not exceed this.
Why wrong: While possible, the more likely issue is the lack of matching threat intel indicators.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The ThreatIntelligenceIndicator table does not contain any indicators with an Active status that match the remote IPs.
The most likely cause is that the ThreatIntelligenceIndicator table does not contain any active indicators that match the remote IPs from the DeviceNetworkEvents. The query uses an inner join between DeviceNetworkEvents and ThreatIntelligenceIndicator on RemoteIP and NetworkIP. If there are no matching indicators, the join produces zero results. Option A is incorrect because filtering for public IPs is correct for outbound connections to the internet. Option B is incorrect because IP version mismatch would cause a join failure, but the query would still return results if the version matched. Option D is incorrect because the threshold of 100 connections may be high, but if there were matching indicators, some devices would return results.
Key principle: Inner Join
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The RemoteIPType filter for 'Public' excludes all internal IPs, but devices connect to internal IPs mostly.
Why it's wrong here
The query specifically looks for public IP connections; if devices don't connect to public IPs, the initial dataset is empty.
✗
The join on RemoteIP and NetworkIP is mismatched because one is IPv4 and the other IPv6.
Why it's wrong here
Both sides likely contain IP addresses in the same format; mismatched types would cause errors, not empty results.
✓
The ThreatIntelligenceIndicator table does not contain any indicators with an Active status that match the remote IPs.
Why this is correct
Inner join requires matching records; no active matching indicators leads to zero results.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Inner Join
✗
The ConnectionCount threshold of 100 is too high; most devices do not exceed this.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, the more likely issue is the lack of matching threat intel indicators.
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
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Inner Join
Threat Intelligence Indicators
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
Inner Join
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
The correct answer is: The ThreatIntelligenceIndicator table does not contain any indicators with an Active status that match the remote IPs. — The most likely cause is that the ThreatIntelligenceIndicator table does not contain any active indicators that match the remote IPs from the DeviceNetworkEvents. The query uses an inner join between DeviceNetworkEvents and ThreatIntelligenceIndicator on RemoteIP and NetworkIP. If there are no matching indicators, the join produces zero results. Option A is incorrect because filtering for public IPs is correct for outbound connections to the internet. Option B is incorrect because IP version mismatch would cause a join failure, but the query would still return results if the version matched. Option D is incorrect because the threshold of 100 connections may be high, but if there were matching indicators, some devices would return results.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Review inner Join, then practise related SC-200 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Inner Join
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