Quick Answer
The answer is the "Suspected Pass-the-Hash attack" alert. This is the correct alert type because Microsoft Defender for Identity monitors authentication events and behavioral patterns across your network to detect when an attacker uses a stolen password hash to authenticate laterally from one machine to another, which is the core mechanism of a pass-the-hash attack. For the SC-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of how Defender for Identity’s behavioral analytics specifically map to credential theft and lateral movement detection, not just general malware alerts. A common trap is confusing this with the "Suspected Kerberos Golden Ticket" alert, which targets forged ticket-granting tickets rather than hash reuse. Remember the memory tip: "Hash is passed, alert is suspected" — if you see "pass-the-hash" in the scenario, look for the alert name that begins with "Suspected" and ends with "attack."
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.
A company has deployed Microsoft Defender for Identity and wants to detect pass-the-hash attacks in real time. Which alert type should they monitor?
Suspected Kerberoasting attack
Why wrong: This is for Kerberos ticket requests, not pass-the-hash.
Suspected Brute Force attack
Why wrong: This is for repeated login attempts.
Suspected Pass-the-Hash attack
Correct: Defender for Identity can detect pass-the-hash by monitoring NTLM authentication anomalies.
Suspected Golden Ticket attack
Why wrong: This involves forged Kerberos tickets.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Suspected Pass-the-Hash attack
Microsoft Defender for Identity uses behavioral analytics to detect lateral movement and credential theft, including pass-the-hash attacks, and generates security alerts.
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.
Suspected Kerberoasting attack
Why it's wrong here
This is for Kerberos ticket requests, not pass-the-hash.
Suspected Brute Force attack
Why it's wrong here
This is for repeated login attempts.
Suspected Pass-the-Hash attack
Why this is correct
Correct: Defender for Identity can detect pass-the-hash by monitoring NTLM authentication anomalies.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Suspected Golden Ticket attack
Why it's wrong here
This involves forged Kerberos tickets.
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 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
Identify which SC-900 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
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..
The correct answer is: Suspected Pass-the-Hash attack — Microsoft Defender for Identity uses behavioral analytics to detect lateral movement and credential theft, including pass-the-hash attacks, and generates security alerts.
Identify which SC-900 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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
This SC-900 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-900 exam.
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