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.
You are responding to a ransomware incident in Microsoft Defender XDR. You have identified that the malware encrypted files on several devices and then deleted the volume shadow copies. Which of the following actions should you take first to contain the incident?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Run a remediation action to delete the detected malware
Why wrong: Deleting malware does not undo encryption.
Restore encrypted files from backup
Why wrong: Restoration should occur after containment.
Run a full antivirus scan on all devices
Why wrong: Scanning is not the first containment step.
Isolate affected devices using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Isolation prevents further spread.
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 affected devices using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
The correct answer is A because isolating devices prevents the ransomware from spreading to other systems. Option B is wrong because deleting the malware does not address the encryption already done. Option C is wrong because restoring files should wait until containment is achieved. Option D is wrong because running a full scan is not the first containment step.
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.
Run a remediation action to delete the detected malware
Why it's wrong here
Deleting malware does not undo encryption.
Restore encrypted files from backup
Why it's wrong here
Restoration should occur after containment.
Run a full antivirus scan on all devices
Why it's wrong here
Scanning is not the first containment step.
Isolate affected devices using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Why this is correct
Isolation prevents further spread.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
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 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
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 affected devices using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint — The correct answer is A because isolating devices prevents the ransomware from spreading to other systems. Option B is wrong because deleting the malware does not address the encryption already done. Option C is wrong because restoring files should wait until containment is achieved. Option D is wrong because running a full scan is not the first containment step.
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.
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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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