- A
Immediately block the IP address in the firewall
Why wrong: Immediately blocking the IP may be premature without confirming that the attack succeeded. It could be a false positive, and blocking might impact legitimate users if the IP is shared.
- B
Reset passwords for all affected accounts
Why wrong: Resetting passwords for all affected accounts is reactive and assumes all attempts were malicious. It does not help determine if any account was actually compromised.
- C
Disable the accounts that had failed logons
Why wrong: Disabling accounts that had failed logons is overly aggressive; some failed attempts could be legitimate users mistyping passwords. It does not investigate whether the attacker succeeded.
- D
Correlate with successful logon events from the same IP for those accounts
Correlating failed logons with successful logon events from the same IP for the same accounts is the best next step because a successful logon after failures confirms a brute-force attack succeeded, providing actionable evidence.
SC-200 Perform threat hunting Practice Question
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. 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.
During a threat hunt, you notice an anomalous number of failed logon attempts from a single IP address across multiple user accounts in Microsoft Entra ID sign-in logs. What is the most effective next step to determine if this is a brute-force attack?
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
Correlate with successful logon events from the same IP for those accounts
Correlating failed logon attempts with successful logon events from the same IP address for the same accounts is the most effective next step. If a successful logon occurs shortly after failures, it strongly indicates a brute-force attack succeeded. This evidence justifies further action like blocking the IP or resetting the compromised account. Option A (blocking IP immediately) may be premature without confirming success. Option B (resetting all affected passwords) is disruptive and may not address the root cause if no breach occurred. Option C (disabling accounts) could block legitimate users unnecessarily.
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.
- ✗
Immediately block the IP address in the firewall
Why it's wrong here
Immediately blocking the IP may be premature without confirming that the attack succeeded. It could be a false positive, and blocking might impact legitimate users if the IP is shared.
- ✗
Reset passwords for all affected accounts
Why it's wrong here
Resetting passwords for all affected accounts is reactive and assumes all attempts were malicious. It does not help determine if any account was actually compromised.
- ✗
Disable the accounts that had failed logons
Why it's wrong here
Disabling accounts that had failed logons is overly aggressive; some failed attempts could be legitimate users mistyping passwords. It does not investigate whether the attacker succeeded.
- ✓
Correlate with successful logon events from the same IP for those accounts
Why this is correct
Correlating failed logons with successful logon events from the same IP for the same accounts is the best next step because a successful logon after failures confirms a brute-force attack succeeded, providing actionable evidence.
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 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
Perform threat hunting — This question tests Perform threat hunting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Correlate with successful logon events from the same IP for those accounts — Correlating failed logon attempts with successful logon events from the same IP address for the same accounts is the most effective next step. If a successful logon occurs shortly after failures, it strongly indicates a brute-force attack succeeded. This evidence justifies further action like blocking the IP or resetting the compromised account. Option A (blocking IP immediately) may be premature without confirming success. Option B (resetting all affected passwords) is disruptive and may not address the root cause if no breach occurred. Option C (disabling accounts) could block legitimate users unnecessarily.
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
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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