Question 35 of 1,639

Perform threat hunting →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is the KQL query that uses `summarize dcount(IpAddress) by Account` and filters for `DistinctSourceIPs > 1`. This is correct because password spraying involves an attacker trying the same weak password against multiple accounts from different source IPs to avoid lockout, so counting distinct source IPs per account directly reveals accounts hit from more than one location—the hallmark of a spray. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish password spraying from brute-force attacks; the common trap is choosing a query that groups by source IP (which catches brute-force from a single machine) or one that counts total failures regardless of IP (which misses the distributed nature of spraying). A reliable memory tip: “Spray spreads across IPs, brute-force beats one door”—so always look for `dcount(IpAddress)` on the account to confirm a spray.

SC-200 Perform threat hunting Practice Question

This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of perform threat hunting. 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.

You are a security analyst at Contoso, a multinational company with 10,000 endpoints. You are using Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender XDR for threat hunting. In the past week, you have observed an increase in failed logon events (Event ID 4625) from multiple workstations towards a single domain controller, targeting the built-in Administrator account. The source IPs are a mix of internal and external addresses. You suspect a password spraying attack. You need to confirm the attack and identify all affected accounts. You have access to Windows Security Events ingested into Sentinel. Which single KQL query would best identify accounts with repeated failed logons across multiple source IPs, indicating password spraying?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Read the full NAT/PAT explanation →

A
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize FailedAttempts = count() by Account, IpAddress | where FailedAttempts > 10
Why wrong: This groups by source IP, not account; it finds brute-force per IP, not spraying.
B
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize DistinctSourceIPs = dcount(IpAddress) by Account | where DistinctSourceIPs > 1
This identifies accounts targeted from multiple IPs, indicating password spraying.
C
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize FailedAttempts = count() by Account | where FailedAttempts > 50
Why wrong: This counts total failures per account but does not consider multiple source IPs.
D
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 and Account == 'Administrator' | summarize count() by IpAddress
Why wrong: This focuses only on the Administrator account, missing other accounts.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize DistinctSourceIPs = dcount(IpAddress) by Account | where DistinctSourceIPs > 1

Option C is correct because it counts distinct source IPs per target account and filters for those with more than one source IP, which is characteristic of password spraying. Option A is wrong because it groups by source IP, which identifies brute-force from a single IP. Option B is wrong because it counts total attempts regardless of source IP. Option D is wrong because it filters by account name, missing other targeted accounts.

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.

✗
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize FailedAttempts = count() by Account, IpAddress | where FailedAttempts > 10
Why it's wrong here
This groups by source IP, not account; it finds brute-force per IP, not spraying.
✓
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize DistinctSourceIPs = dcount(IpAddress) by Account | where DistinctSourceIPs > 1
Why this is correct
This identifies accounts targeted from multiple IPs, indicating password spraying.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize FailedAttempts = count() by Account | where FailedAttempts > 50
Why it's wrong here
This counts total failures per account but does not consider multiple source IPs.
✗
SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 and Account == 'Administrator' | summarize count() by IpAddress
Why it's wrong here
This focuses only on the Administrator account, missing other accounts.

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.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SC-200 question test?

Perform threat hunting — This question tests Perform threat hunting — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: SecurityEvent | where EventID == 4625 | summarize DistinctSourceIPs = dcount(IpAddress) by Account | where DistinctSourceIPs > 1 — Option C is correct because it counts distinct source IPs per target account and filters for those with more than one source IP, which is characteristic of password spraying. Option A is wrong because it groups by source IP, which identifies brute-force from a single IP. Option B is wrong because it counts total attempts regardless of source IP. Option D is wrong because it filters by account name, missing other targeted accounts.

What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

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