Question 264 of 1,411

Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions

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.

Your company uses Microsoft Defender for Identity to monitor on-premises Active Directory. You receive an alert about a potential lateral movement attack involving a service account. The alert indicates that the account was used to log in to multiple servers from a non-domain-joined machine. You need to investigate the alert and determine if the account is compromised. 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.

A
Check if the account is a member of any privileged groups.
Why wrong: Checking group membership can help assess the risk, but it is not the first step. The immediate priority is to understand the account's recent activity to determine if the behavior is malicious.
B
Immediately reset the service account password.
Why wrong: Resetting the password without investigation may disrupt legitimate operations or alert the attacker. It should only be done after confirming compromise.
C
Review the account’s activity timeline in Microsoft Defender for Identity to see all logins and accessed resources.
Reviewing the activity timeline provides a detailed record of all logins and accessed resources, enabling you to trace the lateral movement and decide on next steps. This is the correct first action.
D
Contact the user to verify if they performed the logins.
Why wrong: Contacting the user is not appropriate for a service account, as it is used by applications or automated processes. The alert is triggered by system behavior, not user actions.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

Review the account’s activity timeline in Microsoft Defender for Identity to see all logins and accessed resources.

Option C is the correct first step because Microsoft Defender for Identity provides an activity timeline for each account, allowing you to review all logins, resources accessed, and other suspicious activities. This helps determine if the account is compromised before taking any action. Option A is incorrect because the account may be a member of privileged groups, but that alone does not confirm compromise; the activity timeline provides more context. Option B is incorrect because immediately resetting the password could disrupt legitimate operations and destroy evidence. Option D is incorrect because the user of a service account is typically not a person, and lateral movement alerts indicate automated or unauthorized behavior, so contacting a user is not appropriate.

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.

✗
Check if the account is a member of any privileged groups.
Why it's wrong here
Checking group membership can help assess the risk, but it is not the first step. The immediate priority is to understand the account's recent activity to determine if the behavior is malicious.
✗
Immediately reset the service account password.
Why it's wrong here
Resetting the password without investigation may disrupt legitimate operations or alert the attacker. It should only be done after confirming compromise.
✓
Review the account’s activity timeline in Microsoft Defender for Identity to see all logins and accessed resources.
Why this is correct
Reviewing the activity timeline provides a detailed record of all logins and accessed resources, enabling you to trace the lateral movement and decide on next steps. This is the correct first action.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
✗
Contact the user to verify if they performed the logins.
Why it's wrong here
Contacting the user is not appropriate for a service account, as it is used by applications or automated processes. The alert is triggered by system behavior, not user actions.

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 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

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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-900 questions on access control and AAA configuration.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this SC-900 question test?

Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions — This question tests Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions — Authentication checks who the user is..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Review the account’s activity timeline in Microsoft Defender for Identity to see all logins and accessed resources. — Option C is the correct first step because Microsoft Defender for Identity provides an activity timeline for each account, allowing you to review all logins, resources accessed, and other suspicious activities. This helps determine if the account is compromised before taking any action. Option A is incorrect because the account may be a member of privileged groups, but that alone does not confirm compromise; the activity timeline provides more context. Option B is incorrect because immediately resetting the password could disrupt legitimate operations and destroy evidence. Option D is incorrect because the user of a service account is typically not a person, and lateral movement alerts indicate automated or unauthorized behavior, so contacting a user is not appropriate.

What should I do if I get this SC-900 question wrong?

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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