The answer is to investigate the IP address in the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps Activity log to review all failed attempts. This is the most effective next step because the Activity log provides a centralized, filterable record of every authentication event, allowing you to correlate the specific IP with timestamps, user agents, and success or failure statuses to confirm a brute-force pattern. On the SC-200 exam, this tests your ability to prioritize investigation over reaction—common traps include jumping to block the IP (premature without evidence) or creating a new anomaly detection policy (which is for future detection, not immediate analysis). Remember, when threat hunting for high failed login attempts, always start with the Activity log to gather forensic data before taking action. A useful memory tip: “Log before you block” ensures you collect evidence first.
SC-200 Perform threat hunting Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of perform threat hunting. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
While threat hunting in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, you notice a user has an unusually high number of failed login attempts from a single IP address. What is the most effective next step to determine if this is a brute-force attack?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Investigate the IP address in the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps Activity log to review all failed attempts
Using the Activity log to filter by the IP and reviewing failures is the most direct method. Option B (Blocking the IP) is premature. Option C (Creating an anomaly detection policy) is for future detection. Option D (Investigating the user's device) is not relevant for cloud app access.
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
Why it's wrong here
Blocking without confirmation might impact legitimate users.
✓
Investigate the IP address in the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps Activity log to review all failed attempts
Why this is correct
The Activity log provides detailed records of each attempt, allowing pattern analysis.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a new anomaly detection policy for that user
Why it's wrong here
Creating a policy is for future detection, not immediate investigation.
✗
Check the user's device for malware
Why it's wrong here
Device malware is not directly related to failed cloud app logins.
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.
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: Investigate the IP address in the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps Activity log to review all failed attempts — Using the Activity log to filter by the IP and reviewing failures is the most direct method. Option B (Blocking the IP) is premature. Option C (Creating an anomaly detection policy) is for future detection. Option D (Investigating the user's device) is not relevant for cloud app access.
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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