- A
Remove the user's Microsoft 365 license.
Why wrong: This will disable all services, including email receiving.
- B
Disable the user account in Microsoft Entra ID.
Why wrong: Disabling the account will block all access, including email receiving.
- C
Restrict the user from sending email using Microsoft Defender for Office 365 mailbox restrictions.
This blocks outgoing email while allowing incoming email for investigation.
- D
Delete the user's mailbox in Exchange Online.
Why wrong: Deleting the mailbox removes all data and cannot be easily reversed.
Question 1,212 of 1,639
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
You are a SOC analyst using Microsoft Defender XDR. You notice that a user's account has been compromised and is being used to send phishing emails. You need to prevent the user from sending any more emails while preserving the ability to receive emails for investigation. What should you do?
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
✓
Restrict the user from sending email using Microsoft Defender for Office 365 mailbox restrictions.
Option C is correct because Microsoft Defender for Office 365 mailbox restrictions allow you to block a user from sending email while still permitting them to receive messages. This is done via the 'Restrict user from sending email' policy in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal, which applies a transport rule that rejects outbound mail from the user but leaves inbound delivery intact, enabling forensic analysis of incoming phishing responses.
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.
- ✗
Remove the user's Microsoft 365 license.
Why it's wrong here
This will disable all services, including email receiving.
- ✗
Disable the user account in Microsoft Entra ID.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the account will block all access, including email receiving.
- ✓
Restrict the user from sending email using Microsoft Defender for Office 365 mailbox restrictions.
Why this is correct
This blocks outgoing email while allowing incoming email for investigation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Delete the user's mailbox in Exchange Online.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting the mailbox removes all data and cannot be easily reversed.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse disabling the user account (which blocks all access) with a targeted email restriction, or they assume removing the license is a quick fix, not realizing it also stops email reception critical for investigation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The mailbox restriction in Defender for Office 365 works by creating an Exchange Online transport rule that rejects messages sent by the restricted user with a 550 5.1.8 status code, while inbound messages are still delivered. This rule is applied at the organization level and can be scoped to specific users via the 'Restricted entities' portal. In a real-world scenario, this allows the SOC to monitor the compromised account's inbox for attacker communications or exfiltration attempts without the attacker being able to continue the phishing campaign.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
Manage a security operations environment — This question tests Manage a security operations environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Restrict the user from sending email using Microsoft Defender for Office 365 mailbox restrictions. — Option C is correct because Microsoft Defender for Office 365 mailbox restrictions allow you to block a user from sending email while still permitting them to receive messages. This is done via the 'Restrict user from sending email' policy in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal, which applies a transport rule that rejects outbound mail from the user but leaves inbound delivery intact, enabling forensic analysis of incoming phishing responses.
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.
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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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