- A
Run a full antivirus scan on the user's device
Why wrong: Not immediately necessary.
- B
Report the email as phishing in Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Helps improve detection.
- C
Reset the user's password
Why wrong: Not a primary action for phishing.
- D
Block the sender's email address or domain
Prevents further phishing.
- E
Delete the phishing email from the user's mailbox
Removes access to the email.
Question 774 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.
Which THREE actions should be taken when a phishing attack is detected in Microsoft Defender XDR?
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
✓
Report the email as phishing in Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Option B is correct because reporting the email as phishing in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 triggers automated investigation and remediation workflows, including tenant-level block actions and threat intelligence updates. This action directly supports the incident response process by enabling the security team to analyze the phishing attempt and prevent further delivery to other users.
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.
- ✗
Run a full antivirus scan on the user's device
Why it's wrong here
Not immediately necessary.
- ✓
Report the email as phishing in Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Why this is correct
Helps improve detection.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Reset the user's password
Why it's wrong here
Not a primary action for phishing.
- ✓
Block the sender's email address or domain
Why this is correct
Prevents further phishing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Delete the phishing email from the user's mailbox
Why this is correct
Removes access to the email.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the immediate containment actions (block sender, delete email) with post-compromise remediation steps (password reset, antivirus scan), leading them to select options that are appropriate only after a confirmed credential theft or malware infection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a user reports a phishing email via the Microsoft Report Message or Report Phishing add-in, the email is submitted to the Microsoft 365 submission portal, which triggers automated investigation in Microsoft Defender for Office 365. This process uses the Threat Explorer and automated investigation and response (AIR) playbooks to analyze the email, extract indicators like sender IP and URL, and apply tenant-level block actions such as blocking the sender domain or URL. The reported email is also moved to the user's Junk Email folder or deleted, depending on policy, and the threat intelligence is shared across Microsoft 365 Defender to protect other users.
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 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
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: Report the email as phishing in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 — Option B is correct because reporting the email as phishing in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 triggers automated investigation and remediation workflows, including tenant-level block actions and threat intelligence updates. This action directly supports the incident response process by enabling the security team to analyze the phishing attempt and prevent further delivery to other users.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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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