The answer is to suspend the user in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. This action immediately terminates all active sessions and blocks any further access to cloud applications, effectively stopping data exfiltration from a compromised account. Unlike simply resetting the password, which leaves existing sessions intact, suspending the user cuts off the attacker’s current access at the application layer, preventing the theft of sensitive data from anonymous IP addresses. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your ability to apply the most immediate containment measure within Defender for Cloud Apps, often as a distractor against broader Entra ID account disabling. A common trap is choosing password reset, but remember that suspension is session-aware and app-specific. Memory tip: “Suspend stops the send”—suspension halts data flow instantly, while a password change only locks the door after the thief is already inside.
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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. You discover that a user has been accessing sensitive data from an anonymous IP address. The user's account appears to be compromised. You need to prevent further data exfiltration. What should you do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Suspend the user in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.
Suspending the user in Defender for Cloud Apps immediately blocks all access to cloud apps, preventing data exfiltration. Option A is incorrect because changing password alone may not terminate existing sessions. Option C is incorrect because disabling the account in Microsoft Entra ID is broader but also effective; however, suspending in Defender for Cloud Apps is more immediate for cloud app access. Option D is not directly possible.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Disable the user account in Microsoft Entra ID.
Why it's wrong here
This is effective but takes longer to propagate; suspending in Defender for Cloud Apps is faster.
✗
Create an IP range policy in Defender for Cloud Apps to block the anonymous IP.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking the IP does not stop the user from using a different IP.
✗
Change the user's password and revoke sessions.
Why it's wrong here
This is good but does not immediately block current access to cloud apps.
✓
Suspend the user in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.
Why this is correct
Suspending instantly blocks all app access.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SC-200 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Respond to security incidents — This question tests Respond to security incidents — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Suspend the user in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. — Suspending the user in Defender for Cloud Apps immediately blocks all access to cloud apps, preventing data exfiltration. Option A is incorrect because changing password alone may not terminate existing sessions. Option C is incorrect because disabling the account in Microsoft Entra ID is broader but also effective; however, suspending in Defender for Cloud Apps is more immediate for cloud app access. Option D is not directly possible.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SC-200 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You are investigating a suspicious sign-in reported in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. The activity shows that a user accessed a sensitive SharePoint site from an anonymous IP address. What is the most effective immediate response to prevent further access?
medium
✓ A.Suspend the user account in Microsoft 365 Defender.
B.Change the SharePoint site permissions to remove the user's access.
C.Disable the user's device in Microsoft Intune.
D.Add the anonymous IP address to the blocked IP address list in Conditional Access.
Why A: Option D is correct because suspending the user immediately blocks access to all cloud apps. Option A is wrong because disabling the device does not prevent cloud access from other devices. Option B is wrong because changing permissions on the site does not address the user's compromised state. Option C is wrong because blocking the IP may not be effective if the attacker uses different IPs.
Variation 2. Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps and Microsoft Sentinel. An alert indicates that an external IP address is downloading large amounts of data from a SharePoint site containing confidential documents. The activity is coming from a valid user account that appears to be compromised. What should you do first to stop the data exfiltration?
medium
A.Delete the confidential documents from SharePoint
✓ B.Suspend the user account in Microsoft Entra ID
C.Block the external IP address in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
D.Change the SharePoint site permissions to deny access
Why B: Option A is correct because suspending the user account immediately stops the download. Option B is wrong because blocking the IP may not be effective if the attacker uses multiple IPs. Option C is wrong because changing permissions is slower. Option D is wrong because deleting files destroys evidence.
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Question Discussion
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