SC-200 Respond to security incidents Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. ```kusto DeviceProcessEvents | where Timestamp > ago(1h) | where FileName == "powershell.exe" | where ProcessCommandLine contains "-enc" | project DeviceName, AccountName, ProcessCommandLine | take 10 ```
Refer to the exhibit. A security analyst runs the KQL query in Microsoft Defender XDR to find devices running encoded PowerShell commands in the last hour. The query returns results showing a device named 'DESKTOP-123' with account 'jdoe'. The analyst suspects malicious activity. Which immediate next step should the analyst take?
⚠ Common exam trap
SC-200 often tests the incident response sequence, tricking candidates into choosing immediate containment (isolation) when the correct first step is investigation to confirm the threat — a classic 'respond vs. investigate' trap.
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
✓
Click on the result to open the full device timeline and analyze the process tree
When a KQL query in Microsoft Defender XDR returns suspicious results — such as encoded PowerShell commands on a device — the immediate next step is to investigate by clicking the result to open the full device timeline and analyze the process tree. This provides context on parent processes, command-line arguments, and related events to determine whether the activity is truly malicious before taking disruptive action.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Delete the query because it returned results
Why it's wrong here
Deleting the query discards evidence and leaves the suspected encoded PowerShell execution unexamined, so no containment or investigation occurs. Deleting is appropriate only for a confirmed false-positive query with no findings. The analyst should instead investigate the device and account, then isolate or remediate as needed.
- ✗
Modify the query to increase the time range to 24 hours
Why it's wrong here
Widening the window to 24 hours only surfaces older events; it neither contains the suspected compromise nor confirms whether encoded PowerShell is malicious here. Time-range expansion suits retrospective hunting for historical patterns, not an active incident on a named device and account requiring immediate triage.
- ✓
Click on the result to open the full device timeline and analyze the process tree
Why this is correct
Opening the device timeline reveals the full process tree, parent-child relationships and command lines behind the encoded PowerShell. This lets the analyst confirm whether the activity is genuinely malicious before containment, satisfying the need for immediate triage evidence.
- ✗
Isolate the device 'DESKTOP-123' from the network
Why it's wrong here
Isolation blocks network traffic but leaves the malicious process running and volatile evidence uncollected, and it is disproportionate before confirming the alert. Isolation is the right call once an active, spreading compromise is verified; here the analyst should first investigate the returned results to establish whether the activity is genuinely malicious.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.