The answer is to review the user’s activity log in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. This is the correct first step because the activity log provides granular, timestamped details on every SharePoint download, including file names, sizes, and IP addresses, allowing you to distinguish between legitimate bulk work and a potential data exfiltration attempt. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your ability to prioritize investigation over broad or premature actions—common traps include jumping to block the app or create an IP range, which are reactive or proactive but not investigative. Remember the “Investigate First” principle: always check the activity log before applying controls, as it is the definitive source for suspicious download patterns. A useful memory tip is “Log before Lock”—review the log before locking down access.
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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. An alert indicates that a user is downloading large amounts of data from SharePoint Online. What should you do first to investigate?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review the user's activity log in Defender for Cloud Apps.
Option B is correct because the user's activity log provides detailed information about the downloads and can help identify if it's malicious. Option A is wrong because blocking the app is too broad. Option C is wrong because creating an IP range is proactive but not investigative. Option D is wrong because it's a reactive step that might be premature.
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.
✗
Govern the user by suspending their account.
Why it's wrong here
Suspending without investigation could block legitimate activity.
✓
Review the user's activity log in Defender for Cloud Apps.
Why this is correct
Reviewing activity logs helps understand the context of the downloads.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a new IP address range for the organization.
Why it's wrong here
Creating IP ranges is a configuration task, not an investigation step.
✗
Block the SharePoint Online app for all users in Defender for Cloud Apps.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking the app for all users is too disruptive without investigation.
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: Review the user's activity log in Defender for Cloud Apps. — Option B is correct because the user's activity log provides detailed information about the downloads and can help identify if it's malicious. Option A is wrong because blocking the app is too broad. Option C is wrong because creating an IP range is proactive but not investigative. Option D is wrong because it's a reactive step that might be premature.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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