- A
Initiate automated investigation on the affected devices
Automated investigation quickly scopes the incident.
- B
Reset passwords for all users in the organization
Why wrong: Password reset is important but secondary to containment.
- C
Collect forensic evidence from affected systems
Why wrong: Forensic collection is for later analysis, not immediate response.
- D
Isolate the affected devices from the network
Isolation stops lateral movement immediately.
- E
Run a full antivirus scan on all endpoints
Why wrong: Scanning is reactive and does not halt propagation.
Question 319 of 1,639
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.
A security analyst is investigating a potential ransomware incident in Microsoft Defender XDR. The analyst needs to confirm the scope of the attack and halt further propagation. Which TWO actions should the analyst take 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
✓
Initiate automated investigation on the affected devices
Initiating automated investigation on affected devices (A) is correct because Microsoft Defender XDR's automated investigation uses built-in playbooks to automatically analyze alerts, determine the scope of compromise, and suggest remediation actions without manual intervention. This is the fastest way to confirm the attack scope while simultaneously halting propagation. Isolating affected devices (D) is correct because network isolation immediately cuts off communication between the compromised device and other systems, preventing lateral movement and further encryption of network shares. Both actions are first-response steps in a ransomware incident.
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.
- ✓
Initiate automated investigation on the affected devices
Why this is correct
Automated investigation quickly scopes the incident.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Reset passwords for all users in the organization
Why it's wrong here
Password reset is important but secondary to containment.
- ✗
Collect forensic evidence from affected systems
Why it's wrong here
Forensic collection is for later analysis, not immediate response.
- ✓
Isolate the affected devices from the network
Why this is correct
Isolation stops lateral movement immediately.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Run a full antivirus scan on all endpoints
Why it's wrong here
Scanning is reactive and does not halt propagation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The SC-200 exam often tests the distinction between containment-first vs. investigation-first; the trap here is that candidates may choose 'collect forensic evidence' (C) thinking it is necessary before isolation, but in a ransomware scenario, stopping propagation is the immediate priority, and forensic collection can be done after isolation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Automated investigation in Microsoft Defender XDR leverages the Incident Investigation & Response (IIR) engine, which correlates signals from endpoints, email, and identities to automatically determine the scope of an attack. Network isolation in Defender for Endpoint uses a built-in 'Isolate device' action that applies a Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) rule to block all inbound/outbound traffic except to the Defender cloud service, effectively quarantining the device while still allowing telemetry to be sent. This isolation is reversible and preserves forensic data for later analysis.
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 healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
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: Initiate automated investigation on the affected devices — Initiating automated investigation on affected devices (A) is correct because Microsoft Defender XDR's automated investigation uses built-in playbooks to automatically analyze alerts, determine the scope of compromise, and suggest remediation actions without manual intervention. This is the fastest way to confirm the attack scope while simultaneously halting propagation. Isolating affected devices (D) is correct because network isolation immediately cuts off communication between the compromised device and other systems, preventing lateral movement and further encryption of network shares. Both actions are first-response steps in a ransomware incident.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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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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