- A
Reset the password of the compromised account.
Why wrong: May help but isolation is more immediate.
- B
Review the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps logs.
Why wrong: Lateral movement is on-premises, not cloud apps.
- C
Isolate the affected device from the network.
Isolation stops the attack from spreading.
- D
Create a new analytics rule to detect pass-the-hash attacks.
Why wrong: Creating rules is not immediate containment.
Question 24 of 1,639
Pass-the-Hash Attack Incident Containment
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.
A security analyst in Microsoft Sentinel receives an incident with a high severity alert from Microsoft Defender for Identity. The incident description mentions a suspected lateral movement pass-the-hash attack. What should the analyst do first?
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 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
✓
Isolate the affected device from the network.
Option C is correct because the immediate priority in a suspected lateral movement pass-the-hash attack is to contain the threat by isolating the affected device from the network. This prevents the attacker from using the compromised account's NTLM hash to authenticate to other systems, stopping the lateral spread while preserving forensic evidence for further investigation.
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.
- ✗
Reset the password of the compromised account.
Why it's wrong here
May help but isolation is more immediate.
- ✗
Review the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps logs.
Why it's wrong here
Lateral movement is on-premises, not cloud apps.
- ✓
Isolate the affected device from the network.
Why this is correct
Isolation stops the attack from spreading.
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 analytics rule to detect pass-the-hash attacks.
Why it's wrong here
Creating rules is not immediate containment.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose password reset (Option A) thinking it immediately revokes access, but they overlook that the cached NTLM hash on the compromised device remains usable for lateral movement until the device is isolated or the hash is cleared.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Pass-the-hash attacks exploit the NTLM challenge-response protocol by using a captured hash to authenticate without knowing the plaintext password. When a device is isolated via Microsoft Defender for Endpoint's 'Isolate device' action, it blocks all inbound/outbound network traffic (except to the Defender service), effectively cutting off the attacker's ability to relay the hash to other systems. This containment step is critical because the hash remains valid until the machine is remediated, even if the account password is changed.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
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: Isolate the affected device from the network. — Option C is correct because the immediate priority in a suspected lateral movement pass-the-hash attack is to contain the threat by isolating the affected device from the network. This prevents the attacker from using the compromised account's NTLM hash to authenticate to other systems, stopping the lateral spread while preserving forensic evidence for further investigation.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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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