Quick Answer
The correct answers are isolate a device and soft-delete an email message, as these are the two containment actions natively supported by Microsoft Defender XDR’s automated investigation and response (AIR). AIR uses playbooks to automatically contain verified threats by isolating compromised endpoints from the network to prevent lateral movement, and by soft-deleting malicious emails from user mailboxes to remove the threat while preserving the message for forensic recovery. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of AIR’s built-in remediation scope versus manual actions—common traps include confusing user account disabling or password resets with AIR capabilities, since those require manual intervention from an analyst. Remember the memory tip: “Isolate and Soft-Delete” are the only two fully automated containment actions; anything involving user accounts or network rules is a manual step.
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 TWO actions can you perform in Microsoft Defender XDR's automated investigation and response (AIR) to contain a threat? (Select TWO.)
Isolate a device from the network.
Isolation is a standard AIR action.
Add a firewall rule to block an IP.
Why wrong: Firewall rule changes are not part of AIR.
Disable a user account.
Why wrong: AIR does not disable user accounts; that is a manual step.
Reset a user's password.
Why wrong: Password reset is not an AIR action.
Soft-delete an email message.
AIR can soft-delete email in Defender for Office 365.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Isolate a device from the network.
Option A is correct because AIR can isolate devices. Option D is correct because AIR can soft-delete an email message. Option B is wrong because disabling a user account is not an AIR action; it's manual. Option C is wrong because resetting a password is not part of AIR. Option E is wrong because adding a firewall rule is not an AIR capability.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Isolate a device from the network.
Why this is correct
Isolation is a standard AIR action.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Add a firewall rule to block an IP.
Why it's wrong here
Firewall rule changes are not part of AIR.
Disable a user account.
Why it's wrong here
AIR does not disable user accounts; that is a manual step.
Reset a user's password.
Why it's wrong here
Password reset is not an AIR action.
Soft-delete an email message.
Why this is correct
AIR can soft-delete email in Defender for Office 365.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which SC-200 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Respond to security incidents — This question tests Respond to security incidents — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Isolate a device from the network. — Option A is correct because AIR can isolate devices. Option D is correct because AIR can soft-delete an email message. Option B is wrong because disabling a user account is not an AIR action; it's manual. Option C is wrong because resetting a password is not part of AIR. Option E is wrong because adding a firewall rule is not an AIR capability.
Identify which SC-200 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 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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