Quick Answer
The answer is to place the user’s mailbox and OneDrive on litigation hold, because this method immediately preserves all existing data and prevents any deletion or modification by users or automated policies. Litigation hold works by locking the entire mailbox and OneDrive in place, ensuring that every version of a document and every email is retained as immutable evidence, which is critical for forensic integrity after a security incident. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of native Microsoft 365 preservation tools versus destructive or search-only actions; the common trap is confusing eDiscovery (which searches but does not lock data) with litigation hold, or assuming backups are sufficient for immediate preservation. Remember the memory tip: “Hold for evidence, search for discovery”—litigation hold is the only option that freezes data in its current state without any risk of loss.
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.
After a security incident, you need to preserve evidence from a compromised Microsoft 365 tenant. What is the best method to preserve data?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Take a backup of the entire tenant
Why wrong: Not a standard preservation method.
Use Microsoft Purview eDiscovery to search and export
Why wrong: eDiscovery is for search, not preservation.
Export the data to a PST file and delete the original
Why wrong: Deletion destroys evidence.
Place the user's mailbox and OneDrive on litigation hold
Preserves all data from deletion.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Place the user's mailbox and OneDrive on litigation hold
Option A is correct because litigation hold preserves all data. Option B is wrong because deletion is destructive. Option C is wrong because eDiscovery is for search, not preservation. Option D is wrong because backup is not immediate preservation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Take a backup of the entire tenant
Why it's wrong here
Not a standard preservation method.
Use Microsoft Purview eDiscovery to search and export
Why it's wrong here
eDiscovery is for search, not preservation.
Export the data to a PST file and delete the original
Why it's wrong here
Deletion destroys evidence.
Place the user's mailbox and OneDrive on litigation hold
Why this is correct
Preserves all data from deletion.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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
Respond to security incidents — This question tests Respond to security incidents — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Place the user's mailbox and OneDrive on litigation hold — Option A is correct because litigation hold preserves all data. Option B is wrong because deletion is destructive. Option C is wrong because eDiscovery is for search, not preservation. Option D is wrong because backup is not immediate preservation.
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.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 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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