The answer is to contain the incident to prevent further damage. Once an incident in Microsoft Sentinel is classified as a true positive, the immediate priority shifts from identification to containment, isolating the affected systems or accounts to stop the threat from spreading laterally or exfiltrating data. This step is critical because it directly limits the blast radius before any eradication or recovery efforts begin. On the SC-200 exam, this tests your understanding of the NIST incident response lifecycle, where containment follows classification—a common trap is confusing this with preparation (which happens before an incident) or eradication (which comes after containment). Remember the sequence: Classify, Contain, then Eradicate. A useful memory tip is to think of a fire alarm: after confirming a real fire (true positive), you first close the doors (containment) before grabbing the extinguisher (eradication).
SC-200 Respond to security incidents Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of respond to security incidents. 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.
An incident in Microsoft Sentinel has been classified as a true positive. According to the incident response process, what should the analyst do next?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Contain the incident to prevent further damage.
Option D is correct. After classification, the analyst should contain the threat to prevent further damage. Option A is part of preparation. Option B is done after containment. Option C is part of post-incident activities.
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.
✓
Contain the incident to prevent further damage.
Why this is correct
Containment is the immediate priority after confirming a true positive.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Perform a root cause analysis.
Why it's wrong here
Root cause analysis is done after the incident is contained and eradicated.
✗
Create a new analytic rule to detect similar activity.
Why it's wrong here
This is a post-incident improvement step, not the immediate next action.
✗
Document the incident in a detailed report.
Why it's wrong here
Documentation should happen after containment and eradication.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
Identify which SC-200 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.
Respond to security incidents — This question tests Respond to security incidents — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Contain the incident to prevent further damage. — Option D is correct. After classification, the analyst should contain the threat to prevent further damage. Option A is part of preparation. Option B is done after containment. Option C is part of post-incident activities.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Identify which SC-200 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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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