The answer is the query that filters on EventID 4625, summarizes by IpAddress, and uses top 10 by count_. This is correct because Event ID 4625 specifically logs failed logon attempts in Windows Security Events, making it the precise indicator for on-prem AD brute-force detection. By summarizing the count of these events per source IP and ordering descending, you isolate the most aggressive attacking addresses within your time window. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between Event ID 4624 (successful logon) and 4625 (failed logon), a common trap where candidates accidentally include successful logons or use the wrong field like Account. The search intent for on-prem AD brute-force KQL hunting queries often requires you to focus solely on failure events to avoid false positives from legitimate traffic. A reliable memory tip: remember that 4625 has a "5" at the end, which looks like an "S" for "Strike" or "Stopped" — a failed attempt, while 4624 has a "4" that can remind you of "four" as in "for sure" success.
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.
You are a security analyst at a company using Microsoft Sentinel. You have been asked to perform a threat hunt to identify potential brute-force attacks against your on-premises Active Directory. The relevant data is ingested into Sentinel from Windows Event Logs (Event ID 4625) and Azure ATP (now Microsoft Defender for Identity). Your hunting query should focus on failed logon attempts with high frequency from the same source IP within a short time window. You need to write a KQL query that returns the top 10 source IPs with the most failed logon attempts in the last 24 hours. Which KQL query should you use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize count() by IpAddress | top 10 by count_
Option B correctly filters for EventID 4625 (failed logon), summarizes by SourceIp, and orders by count descending. Option A uses EventID 4624 (successful logon). Option C uses an incorrect field. Option D includes successful logons.
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.
✓
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize count() by IpAddress | top 10 by count_
Why this is correct
Correctly filters failed logons and summarizes by source IP.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize count() by SourceIp | top 10 by count_
Why it's wrong here
SourceIp is not a field in SecurityEvent; IpAddress is used.
✗
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4624 | summarize count() by IpAddress | top 10 by count_
Why it's wrong here
EventID 4624 is successful logon, not failed.
✗
SecurityEvent | where EventID in (4624,4625) | summarize count() by IpAddress | top 10 by count_
Why it's wrong here
Includes successful logons, not only failed.
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: SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize count() by IpAddress | top 10 by count_ — Option B correctly filters for EventID 4625 (failed logon), summarizes by SourceIp, and orders by count descending. Option A uses EventID 4624 (successful logon). Option C uses an incorrect field. Option D includes successful logons.
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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