The correct first step is to apply a resource lock to the subscription to block all deployments. This immediately stops the suspicious resource creation in progress because a resource lock at the subscription level prevents any user, including the compromised one, from creating, modifying, or deleting resources until the lock is removed. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your ability to prioritize containment over investigation or user account actions—a common trap is wasting time on log analysis or disabling the user, which does not halt an active deployment session. Remember that while the deployment is still running, only a subscription-level lock can instantly freeze all activity, buying time for deeper forensic analysis. A helpful memory tip: "Lock first, ask questions later" when a deployment is actively happening.
SC-200 Respond to security incidents Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of respond to security incidents. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 with the Microsoft Defender for Cloud connector enabled. You receive an incident that alerts on 'Suspicious resource deployment' from a user who has been compromised. The incident involves the deployment of a virtual machine in a subscription that is normally not used by that user. The incident severity is High. You need to contain the threat immediately. The deployment is still in progress. What 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.
Clue: "immediately / without restart"
Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Apply a resource lock to the subscription to block all deployments.
Option C is correct because locking the subscription prevents any further resource creation, containing the threat immediately. Option A is wrong because investigating logs takes time. Option B is wrong because deleting the VM may not stop other deployments. Option D is wrong because disabling the user account does not stop the deployment session.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Investigate the Azure Activity logs to see what other resources were deployed.
Why it's wrong here
Investigating is not the immediate containment action.
✗
Disable the user account in Microsoft Entra ID.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the account does not stop the current deployment session.
✓
Apply a resource lock to the subscription to block all deployments.
Why this is correct
A resource lock prevents any new resource creation, containing the attack.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Delete the virtual machine that is being deployed.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting the VM does not prevent other deployments.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
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.
Respond to security incidents — This question tests Respond to security incidents — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply a resource lock to the subscription to block all deployments. — Option C is correct because locking the subscription prevents any further resource creation, containing the threat immediately. Option A is wrong because investigating logs takes time. Option B is wrong because deleting the VM may not stop other deployments. Option D is wrong because disabling the user account does not stop the deployment session.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first", "immediately / without restart". 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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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