Using Advanced Hunting to Identify Brute-Force Activity via Interactive Logons
This SC-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe the capabilities of microsoft security solutions. 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.
Exhibit
Microsoft Defender XDR - Advanced Hunting query:
let TimeFrame = 7d;
IdentityLogonEvents
| where Timestamp > ago(TimeFrame)
| where Application == "Office365"
| where LogonType == "Interactive"
| summarize LogonCount = count() by AccountUpn, IPAddress
| where LogonCount > 10
Refer to the exhibit. You run an Advanced Hunting query in Microsoft Defender XDR. What is the primary purpose of this query?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Exhibit
Microsoft Defender XDR - Advanced Hunting query:
let TimeFrame = 7d;
IdentityLogonEvents
| where Timestamp > ago(TimeFrame)
| where Application == "Office365"
| where LogonType == "Interactive"
| summarize LogonCount = count() by AccountUpn, IPAddress
| where LogonCount > 10
A
Find IP addresses with failed logon attempts.
Why wrong: The query does not filter for failure; it counts all successful interactive logons.
B
List all interactive logons from Office 365 applications.
Why wrong: The query filters for >10 logons, not all logons.
C
Detect non-interactive logons to Office 365.
Why wrong: The query explicitly uses LogonType == 'Interactive'.
D
Identify accounts with high number of interactive logons, potentially indicating brute-force activity.
The query counts logons per user/IP and filters for >10, which can indicate brute-force attempts.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Identify accounts with high number of interactive logons, potentially indicating brute-force activity.
The query uses `AADSignInEventsBeta` to count interactive logon events per account, then filters for accounts with more than 10 such events. A high count of interactive logons from a single account is a classic indicator of brute-force activity, where an attacker repeatedly attempts to guess credentials. This makes D correct because the query's primary purpose is to identify accounts with a suspiciously high number of interactive logons.
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.
✗
Find IP addresses with failed logon attempts.
Why it's wrong here
The query does not filter for failure; it counts all successful interactive logons.
✗
List all interactive logons from Office 365 applications.
Why it's wrong here
The query filters for >10 logons, not all logons.
✗
Detect non-interactive logons to Office 365.
Why it's wrong here
The query explicitly uses LogonType == 'Interactive'.
✓
Identify accounts with high number of interactive logons, potentially indicating brute-force activity.
Why this is correct
The query counts logons per user/IP and filters for >10, which can indicate brute-force attempts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'interactive logons' with 'failed logon attempts' (Option A) or assume the query targets Office 365 applications specifically (Option B), when in fact the query counts all interactive logons regardless of success or application, and the high count is the key indicator of brute-force activity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Advanced Hunting, `AADSignInEventsBeta` includes both interactive and non-interactive logons, distinguished by the `LogonType` field where value 2 indicates interactive logon (user entering credentials directly). The query uses `summarize` to aggregate counts per `AccountUpn`, then `where` to filter for counts > 10, which is a common threshold for detecting brute-force attempts. Under the hood, this leverages the Kusto Query Language (KQL) to process telemetry from Azure AD sign-in logs, which record every authentication attempt with detailed metadata.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-900 question in full detail.
Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions — This question tests Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Identify accounts with high number of interactive logons, potentially indicating brute-force activity. — The query uses `AADSignInEventsBeta` to count interactive logon events per account, then filters for accounts with more than 10 such events. A high count of interactive logons from a single account is a classic indicator of brute-force activity, where an attacker repeatedly attempts to guess credentials. This makes D correct because the query's primary purpose is to identify accounts with a suspiciously high number of interactive logons.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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