The correct first step is to review the account’s activity timeline in Microsoft Defender for Identity to see all logins and accessed resources. This is because the alert specifically flags a potential lateral movement attack, and the timeline provides a chronological view of every authentication event tied to that service account, allowing you to identify anomalous logins from a non-domain-joined machine and correlate them with accessed servers. On the SC-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Defender for Identity’s core investigative workflow—focusing on alert triage rather than reactive remediation. A common trap is jumping to password resets, which can disrupt legitimate operations, or checking group memberships, which delays the immediate need to trace the attack path. Remember: when investigating lateral movement, always follow the timeline first—it’s your forensic breadcrumb trail.
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. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.
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 B is correct because checking the account’s recent activity in Microsoft Defender for Identity will show the timeline of events. Option A is wrong because resetting the password may lock out a legitimate user. Option C is wrong because checking group membership is not immediate. Option D is wrong because the alert is about lateral movement, not a user report.
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
This is useful but not the first step.
✗
Immediately reset the service account password.
Why it's wrong here
This may disrupt services and should be done after investigation.
✓
Review the account’s activity timeline in Microsoft Defender for Identity to see all logins and accessed resources.
Why this is correct
This helps determine if the activity is anomalous.
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
The account is a service account, not a user.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-900 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-900 questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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 B is correct because checking the account’s recent activity in Microsoft Defender for Identity will show the timeline of events. Option A is wrong because resetting the password may lock out a legitimate user. Option C is wrong because checking group membership is not immediate. Option D is wrong because the alert is about lateral movement, not a user report.
What should I do if I get this SC-900 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-900 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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