Quick Answer
The correct answer is Windows Event ID 4688 (Process Creation). This event logs every new process spawned on the system, including the execution of tools like Mimikatz, which creates a process such as mimikatz.exe. The 4688 event captures critical details like the command line, parent process, and user context, making it essential for credential dumping detection. On the Microsoft Security Operations Analyst SC-200 exam, this tests your ability to correlate process creation events with known attack tools, often appearing in threat hunting scenarios where you must distinguish legitimate processes from malicious ones. A common trap is focusing on Event ID 4624 (Logon) or 4672 (Special Privileges), which log authentication rather than process execution. For a memory tip, remember “4688 for the gate” — every tool that runs must pass through a process creation gate, and Mimikatz is no exception.
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 threat hunting for credential dumping activity. Which Windows event ID is commonly associated with the use of tools like Mimikatz?
4624 (Successful Logon)
Why wrong: This indicates logon, not credential dumping.
4768 (Kerberos Authentication Ticket Request)
Why wrong: This is for Kerberos requests, not process execution.
4688 (Process Creation)
Process creation events can show when Mimikatz or similar tools are launched.
4672 (Special Logon)
Why wrong: This logs special privileges assigned, but not the tool execution.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
4688 (Process Creation)
Option C is correct because Windows Event ID 4688 (Process Creation) logs every new process spawned on the system, including the execution of tools like Mimikatz. When Mimikatz runs, it creates a process (e.g., mimikatz.exe), and the 4688 event captures the command line, parent process, and user context, which are critical for detecting credential dumping activity.
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.
4624 (Successful Logon)
Why it's wrong here
This indicates logon, not credential dumping.
4768 (Kerberos Authentication Ticket Request)
Why it's wrong here
This is for Kerberos requests, not process execution.
4688 (Process Creation)
Why this is correct
Process creation events can show when Mimikatz or similar tools are launched.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
4672 (Special Logon)
Why it's wrong here
This logs special privileges assigned, but not the tool execution.
Common exam traps
Microsoft often tests the misconception that credential dumping is tied to authentication events (like 4624 or 4768), but the key indicator is the process creation event (4688) that captures the execution of the dumping tool itself.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Mimikatz leverages the Windows API (e.g., OpenProcess, MiniDumpWriteDump) to extract credentials from LSASS memory, which requires the SeDebugPrivilege. Event ID 4688, when combined with command-line auditing (via Audit Process Creation policy), can reveal the exact command used to launch Mimikatz, such as 'mimikatz.exe privilege::debug sekurlsa::logonpasswords'. In real-world scenarios, attackers often rename Mimikatz binaries (e.g., svchost.exe) to evade detection, but 4688 still captures the original file path and hash, aiding in forensic analysis.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Perform threat hunting — This question tests Perform threat hunting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: 4688 (Process Creation) — Option C is correct because Windows Event ID 4688 (Process Creation) logs every new process spawned on the system, including the execution of tools like Mimikatz. When Mimikatz runs, it creates a process (e.g., mimikatz.exe), and the 4688 event captures the command line, parent process, and user context, which are critical for detecting credential dumping activity.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
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. A threat hunter is using Microsoft Defender XDR Advanced hunting to find evidence of credential dumping. Which table should be queried to detect use of tools like Mimikatz?
easyWhy B: DeviceEvents table includes events from security sensors, including detection of credential dumping tools like Mimikatz. Option B (IdentityLogonEvents) is for logon events. Option C (EmailEvents) for email. Option D (CloudAppEvents) for cloud apps.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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