The correct answer is that the three containment steps are isolating affected resources, blocking malicious IP addresses and domains in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and disabling compromised accounts. These steps are correct because containment in incident response focuses on stopping the spread of an attack and preventing further damage, not on investigating the root cause or restoring operations. Isolating resources cuts off lateral movement, blocking indicators halts ongoing malicious communication, and disabling accounts removes the attacker’s access to systems. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish containment from the investigation and recovery phases—a common trap is confusing forensic data collection (investigation) or backup restoration (recovery) with containment. To remember, think of the “three locks”: lock the machine (isolate), lock the network (block), and lock the user (disable).
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 steps are part of the containment phase of incident response in Microsoft Sentinel? (Select THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Disable compromised user accounts in Microsoft Entra ID.
Option A is correct because isolating affected resources prevents further damage. Option C is correct because blocking indicators helps stop attacks. Option E is correct because disabling compromised accounts stops unauthorized access. Option B is wrong because collecting forensic data is part of investigation, not containment. Option D is wrong because restoring from backup is part of recovery.
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 compromised user accounts in Microsoft Entra ID.
Why this is correct
Disabling accounts stops further misuse.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Isolate affected devices using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
Why this is correct
Isolation is a containment action.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Collect forensic data from affected endpoints.
Why it's wrong here
Forensics is investigation, not containment.
✓
Block malicious IP addresses and domains in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.
Why this is correct
Blocking indicators contains the attack.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Restore encrypted files from backup.
Why it's wrong here
Restoration is recovery.
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: Disable compromised user accounts in Microsoft Entra ID. — Option A is correct because isolating affected resources prevents further damage. Option C is correct because blocking indicators helps stop attacks. Option E is correct because disabling compromised accounts stops unauthorized access. Option B is wrong because collecting forensic data is part of investigation, not containment. Option D is wrong because restoring from backup is part of recovery.
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 THREE of the following are key steps when containing a ransomware incident in Microsoft Defender XDR? (Select THREE.)
hard
A.Restore encrypted files from backup
✓ B.Block known malicious file hashes via Indicators of compromise
✓ C.Disable compromised user accounts in Microsoft Entra ID
D.Analyze the root cause of the outbreak
✓ E.Isolate compromised devices using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Why B: Options A, B, and D are correct. Isolating devices, blocking indicators, and disabling user accounts are key containment steps. Option C is wrong because restoring from backup is part of recovery, not containment. Option E is wrong because analyzing the root cause is part of investigation after containment.
Variation 2. Which THREE steps are part of the containment phase of incident response in a hybrid environment using Microsoft Defender XDR?
hard
A.Remove malware from affected systems
B.Restore data from backups
✓ C.Disable compromised user accounts in Microsoft Entra ID
✓ D.Isolate affected devices using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
✓ E.Block malicious IP addresses at the firewall
Why C: Option A is correct because isolation prevents spread. Option B is correct because disabling accounts stops credential misuse. Option D is correct because blocking IoCs is a containment action. Option C is wrong because this is eradication. Option E is wrong because this is recovery.
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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