- A
Create an automation rule that triggers on "When incident is created" and set conditions for severity equals High and tag contains "malware", then set a playbook action.
This correctly uses automation rules to trigger the playbook based on incident properties.
- B
Create a custom analytics rule that runs the playbook directly when triggered.
Why wrong: Analytics rules generate alerts/incidents, but do not run playbooks directly; automation rules are used for that.
- C
Configure a logic app with a trigger on "When a Microsoft Sentinel incident is created" and use conditions inside the logic app.
Why wrong: While possible, this bypasses the automation rule layer and is less maintainable than using automation rules.
- D
Use the Microsoft Sentinel API to create a webhook that triggers the playbook.
Why wrong: This is an external approach, not the built-in automation rule method.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to create an automation rule that triggers on "When incident is created" with conditions for severity equals High and tag contains "malware", then set a playbook action. This configuration is correct because automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel are purpose-built to evaluate incident creation events against specific conditions—such as severity and tag values—and then automatically invoke a playbook without manual intervention. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the automation rule trigger logic versus playbook triggers; a common trap is confusing automation rules (which run on incident creation or update) with playbook triggers (which run on alerts or entities). Remember that automation rules are the orchestrator that decides *when* to run a playbook, while the playbook itself contains the response logic. Memory tip: think of the automation rule as the "if this, then that" gatekeeper—it checks the incident's severity and tag at creation time, then hands off to the playbook for device isolation.
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 SOC team wants to automate response to incidents detected by Microsoft Sentinel. When a new incident is created with severity "High" and contains a specific tag "malware", they want to run a playbook that isolates the affected device. What is the correct way to 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 that triggers on "When incident is created" and set conditions for severity equals High and tag contains "malware", then set a playbook action.
Option A is correct because automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel are specifically designed to trigger playbooks based on incident creation events and conditions like severity and tag. By setting the trigger to 'When incident is created' and conditions for severity equals 'High' and tag contains 'malware', the rule will invoke the playbook to isolate the affected device automatically, without manual intervention.
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 that triggers on "When incident is created" and set conditions for severity equals High and tag contains "malware", then set a playbook action.
Why this is correct
This correctly uses automation rules to trigger the playbook based on incident properties.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a custom analytics rule that runs the playbook directly when triggered.
Why it's wrong here
Analytics rules generate alerts/incidents, but do not run playbooks directly; automation rules are used for that.
- ✗
Configure a logic app with a trigger on "When a Microsoft Sentinel incident is created" and use conditions inside the logic app.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, this bypasses the automation rule layer and is less maintainable than using automation rules.
- ✗
Use the Microsoft Sentinel API to create a webhook that triggers the playbook.
Why it's wrong here
This is an external approach, not the built-in automation rule method.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think a custom analytics rule or a direct Logic App trigger is equivalent to an automation rule, but Microsoft Sentinel's automation rules are the intended and most efficient way to conditionally invoke playbooks based on incident properties like severity and tags.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel are evaluated in order of priority and can trigger playbooks (Logic Apps) when incidents are created or updated. The condition 'tag contains' uses a case-insensitive substring match, so 'malware' will match tags like 'malware-detected' or 'malware-variant'. Under the hood, automation rules use the same incident creation webhook as the Logic App trigger, but they provide a centralized, rule-based engine that can also suppress or modify incidents before playbook execution.
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
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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 that triggers on "When incident is created" and set conditions for severity equals High and tag contains "malware", then set a playbook action. — Option A is correct because automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel are specifically designed to trigger playbooks based on incident creation events and conditions like severity and tag. By setting the trigger to 'When incident is created' and conditions for severity equals 'High' and tag contains 'malware', the rule will invoke the playbook to isolate the affected device automatically, without manual intervention.
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.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SC-200
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A SOC team uses Microsoft Sentinel and wants to automate the response to high-severity incidents. When a new incident of severity 'High' is created, they need to send an email notification to the on-call analyst and assign the incident to that analyst. Which two components must be configured together to achieve this? (Choose the best answer.)
medium- A.Scheduled analytics rule and a playbook
- ✓ B.Automation rule and a playbook
- ✓ C.Fusion rule and a playbook
- D.Watchlist and an automation rule
Why B: Automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel allow you to define triggers based on incident creation or update, including severity conditions. By configuring an automation rule to trigger when a 'High' severity incident is created, you can run a playbook that sends an email to the on-call analyst and assigns the incident to them. This combination provides a no-code or low-code automated response without requiring a scheduled or Fusion rule.
Variation 2. A security operations center (SOC) uses Microsoft Sentinel. The team wants to automatically assign incidents to the appropriate analyst based on the severity level of the alert. Which feature should be configured to achieve this automation?
easy- ✓ A.Automation rules
- B.Playbooks
- C.Analytics rules
- D.Watchlists
Why A: Automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel allow you to define conditions (such as alert severity) and corresponding actions (like assigning an incident to a specific analyst or group) without requiring custom code. This directly meets the SOC's requirement to automatically route incidents based on severity levels, as automation rules can trigger on incident creation or update and perform assignment actions.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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