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 Sentinel and Microsoft Defender XDR. An incident is generated for a user who received a phishing email that bypassed Exchange Online Protection. The user clicked the link and entered credentials on a fake login page. The incident includes alerts from Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Microsoft Entra ID. You need to respond to the incident. The affected user has administrative privileges. Which of the following should you do FIRST?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Reset the user's password and revoke sessions in Microsoft Entra ID.
Option D is correct: resetting the user's password and revoking sessions immediately prevents attacker use of stolen credentials. Option A is wrong because reporting the email is not urgent. Option B is wrong because deleting the email is good but does not address compromised credentials. Option C is wrong because creating a rule is a longer-term action.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Reset the user's password and revoke sessions in Microsoft Entra ID.
Why this is correct
Immediately invalidates stolen credentials.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
Report the phishing email to Microsoft for analysis.
Why it's wrong here
Analysis is important but not the first response.
✗
Create a transport rule to block similar phishing emails.
Why it's wrong here
This is a preventative measure, not immediate response.
✗
Delete the phishing email from the user's mailbox.
Why it's wrong here
Removing the email does not secure the compromised account.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Authentication checks who the user is.
Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
→Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
→Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
→Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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. Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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 Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SC-200 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Respond to security incidents — This question tests Respond to security incidents — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Reset the user's password and revoke sessions in Microsoft Entra ID. — Option D is correct: resetting the user's password and revoking sessions immediately prevents attacker use of stolen credentials. Option A is wrong because reporting the email is not urgent. Option B is wrong because deleting the email is good but does not address compromised credentials. Option C is wrong because creating a rule is a longer-term action.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related SC-200 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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