The answer is isolating a device, disabling a user account, and deleting an email. These three actions are valid incident response actions in Microsoft Defender XDR because they directly contain or remediate threats within the unified security portal, targeting endpoints, identities, and email respectively. Resetting a password is handled in Microsoft Entra ID, not as a direct Defender XDR action, and blocking a URL is performed in Defender for Office 365, making them incorrect choices. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of the specific actions available in the Defender XDR incident queue versus actions delegated to other Microsoft security services. A common trap is confusing cross-service actions like password resets or URL blocks with the native response actions inside Defender XDR. To remember, think of the three core containment levers: device isolation, user disablement, and email deletion—each directly stops the attack vector without leaving the incident interface.
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 THREE of the following are valid incident response actions in Microsoft Defender XDR?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Isolate a device.
Options A, C, and E are correct because isolating a device, disabling a user account, and deleting an email are common response actions. Option B is wrong because resetting a password is done in Microsoft Entra ID. Option D is wrong because blocking a URL is done in Defender for Office 365, not directly in Defender XDR incident actions.
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.
✓
Isolate a device.
Why this is correct
Isolation is a response action available in Defender XDR.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Reset user password.
Why it's wrong here
Password reset is not a direct response action in Defender XDR; it's done in Entra ID.
✗
Block a malicious URL.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking URLs is typically done in Defender for Office 365, not as an incident action.
✓
Delete an email message.
Why this is correct
Email deletion is a response action for phishing incidents.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Disable a user account.
Why this is correct
Disabling a user account is a response action in Defender XDR.
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 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: Isolate a device. — Options A, C, and E are correct because isolating a device, disabling a user account, and deleting an email are common response actions. Option B is wrong because resetting a password is done in Microsoft Entra ID. Option D is wrong because blocking a URL is done in Defender for Office 365, not directly in Defender XDR incident actions.
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. Which TWO of the following are valid response actions when a malware outbreak is detected on multiple endpoints? (Select TWO.)
medium
A.Reset passwords for all users on affected devices
✓ B.Isolate the affected devices from the network
✓ C.Run a full antivirus scan on affected endpoints
D.Delete the affected user accounts
E.Reimage the affected devices immediately
Why B: Options A and C are correct. Isolating devices and running antivirus scans are immediate response actions. Option B is wrong because resetting passwords does not remove malware. Option D is wrong because reimaging is a later step after investigation. Option E is wrong because deleting user accounts is unnecessary and disrupts operations.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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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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