- A
Create an automation rule with a condition on 'Owner' field equals 'Unassigned'
Automation rules can evaluate incident properties; setting a condition on Owner to 'Unassigned' ensures the rule triggers only for unassigned High severity incidents.
- B
Use a playbook trigger 'When a Microsoft Sentinel incident is created' and add a condition in the playbook
Why wrong: While possible, this approach is less efficient because the playbook would be triggered for all incidents, requiring additional logic inside to check ownership; automation rules are the preferred method for conditional triggering.
- C
Configure a watchlist to filter incidents
Why wrong: Watchlists store external data for use in queries and automation rules, but they do not directly control playbook triggering based on incident properties.
- D
Use a Logic Apps trigger for all incidents and check owner within the playbook
Why wrong: This approach triggers the playbook for every incident, which is less efficient and not the standard method; automation rules should be used for pre-filtering.
SC-200 Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of mitigate threats using microsoft sentinel. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 security analyst is configuring a playbook in Microsoft Sentinel to run automatically when a new incident of severity 'High' is created. The playbook should only run for incidents that are not already assigned to an analyst. How can the analyst configure this automation?
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
Create an automation rule with a condition on 'Owner' field equals 'Unassigned'
Option A is correct because Microsoft Sentinel automation rules can evaluate incident properties at creation time, including the 'Owner' field. By setting a condition that 'Owner' equals 'Unassigned', the rule triggers the playbook only for high-severity incidents that have not yet been assigned to an analyst, meeting the requirement without requiring custom logic inside the playbook.
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.
- ✓
Create an automation rule with a condition on 'Owner' field equals 'Unassigned'
Why this is correct
Automation rules can evaluate incident properties; setting a condition on Owner to 'Unassigned' ensures the rule triggers only for unassigned High severity incidents.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a playbook trigger 'When a Microsoft Sentinel incident is created' and add a condition in the playbook
Why it's wrong here
While possible, this approach is less efficient because the playbook would be triggered for all incidents, requiring additional logic inside to check ownership; automation rules are the preferred method for conditional triggering.
- ✗
Configure a watchlist to filter incidents
Why it's wrong here
Watchlists store external data for use in queries and automation rules, but they do not directly control playbook triggering based on incident properties.
- ✗
Use a Logic Apps trigger for all incidents and check owner within the playbook
Why it's wrong here
This approach triggers the playbook for every incident, which is less efficient and not the standard method; automation rules should be used for pre-filtering.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think they must embed filtering logic inside the playbook (Option B or D), overlooking that automation rules provide a native, efficient pre-filtering mechanism that avoids unnecessary playbook executions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel are evaluated synchronously at incident creation or update, and they support conditions based on incident properties such as 'Owner', 'Status', 'Severity', and 'Tactics'. The 'Owner' field is a user or group object; when an incident is unassigned, its value is null, and the condition 'Owner equals Unassigned' is translated to checking for a null owner. This allows the playbook to be triggered only for incidents that meet all conditions, reducing latency and cost compared to post-trigger filtering.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel — This question tests Mitigate threats using Microsoft Sentinel — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an automation rule with a condition on 'Owner' field equals 'Unassigned' — Option A is correct because Microsoft Sentinel automation rules can evaluate incident properties at creation time, including the 'Owner' field. By setting a condition that 'Owner' equals 'Unassigned', the rule triggers the playbook only for high-severity incidents that have not yet been assigned to an analyst, meeting the requirement without requiring custom logic inside the playbook.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SC-200 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-200 exam.
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