- A
Use Microsoft Defender XDR's automated investigation and response (AIR) to automatically disable the user account.
Why wrong: AIR in Defender XDR can disable user accounts but does not trigger a separate investigation in Defender for Cloud Apps.
- B
Create a playbook in Microsoft Sentinel that uses the Microsoft Graph API to disable the user account in Microsoft Entra ID, trigger an investigation in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and send an email notification. Associate the playbook with an automation rule that runs when the incident is created.
This fully automates containment, investigation, and notification.
- C
Create an automation rule in Microsoft Sentinel that triggers a webhook to a third-party system, which then disables the user account.
Why wrong: This requires a third-party system and may not trigger the Defender for Cloud Apps investigation.
- D
Configure a Playbook in Power Automate that monitors Microsoft Sentinel incidents and automatically disables the user account.
Why wrong: Power Automate is not native to Sentinel and may have delays; also lacks direct integration for Defender for Cloud Apps investigation.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create a Sentinel playbook that uses the Microsoft Graph API to disable the user in Microsoft Entra ID, trigger a Defender for Cloud Apps investigation, and send a notification, then associate it with an automation rule set to run when the incident is created. This is the most efficient approach because the playbook executes all required containment and investigation steps automatically upon incident creation, eliminating manual effort while leveraging Sentinel’s native integration with Microsoft Graph API for account disabling and Defender for Cloud Apps for user activity investigation. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how automation rules and playbooks work together to orchestrate response across Microsoft Defender XDR components, with a common trap being to choose a manual trigger or a Power Automate flow, which lacks Sentinel’s tight incident context. Remember the key: automation rules trigger playbooks automatically on incident creation, while the playbook itself handles the multi-step response via Graph API—think “auto-trigger, Graph API, three actions.”
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.
Your organization uses Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender XDR (including Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, Defender for Identity, and Defender for Cloud Apps). You have an incident response team that operates 24/7. Recently, there have been multiple incidents involving users receiving phishing emails that lead to credential theft. The phishing emails are sophisticated and bypass Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and Defender for Office 365's built-in phishing filters. The emails contain links to fake login pages that harvest credentials. Once credentials are stolen, the attacker uses them to sign in from anonymous IP addresses and attempts to access sensitive data in SharePoint Online. You need to design a response strategy that includes automated containment and investigation. The solution must: - Automatically disable user accounts when a phishing incident is confirmed. - Automatically trigger an investigation into the user's activity in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps. - Send a notification to the incident response team with a summary of the incident. - Minimize manual effort.
You have the following components available: - Microsoft Sentinel with automation rules and playbooks. - Microsoft Defender XDR with advanced hunting. - Microsoft Power Automate.
What is the most efficient way to achieve these requirements?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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 a playbook in Microsoft Sentinel that uses the Microsoft Graph API to disable the user account in Microsoft Entra ID, trigger an investigation in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and send an email notification. Associate the playbook with an automation rule that runs when the incident is created.
Creating a playbook in Microsoft Sentinel that uses the Microsoft Graph API to disable the user in Microsoft Entra ID, triggers an investigation in Defender for Cloud Apps, and sends an email notification, then associating it with an automation rule that runs automatically when the incident is created, meets all requirements with minimal manual effort. Option B is incorrect because it requires manual triggering. Option C is incorrect because Power Automate is not as tightly integrated as a Sentinel playbook. Option D is incorrect because it still requires manual investigation steps.
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.
- ✗
Use Microsoft Defender XDR's automated investigation and response (AIR) to automatically disable the user account.
Why it's wrong here
AIR in Defender XDR can disable user accounts but does not trigger a separate investigation in Defender for Cloud Apps.
- ✓
Create a playbook in Microsoft Sentinel that uses the Microsoft Graph API to disable the user account in Microsoft Entra ID, trigger an investigation in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and send an email notification. Associate the playbook with an automation rule that runs when the incident is created.
Why this is correct
This fully automates containment, investigation, and notification.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create an automation rule in Microsoft Sentinel that triggers a webhook to a third-party system, which then disables the user account.
Why it's wrong here
This requires a third-party system and may not trigger the Defender for Cloud Apps investigation.
- ✗
Configure a Playbook in Power Automate that monitors Microsoft Sentinel incidents and automatically disables the user account.
Why it's wrong here
Power Automate is not native to Sentinel and may have delays; also lacks direct integration for Defender for Cloud Apps investigation.
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 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.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SC-200 question test?
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: Create a playbook in Microsoft Sentinel that uses the Microsoft Graph API to disable the user account in Microsoft Entra ID, trigger an investigation in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and send an email notification. Associate the playbook with an automation rule that runs when the incident is created. — Creating a playbook in Microsoft Sentinel that uses the Microsoft Graph API to disable the user in Microsoft Entra ID, triggers an investigation in Defender for Cloud Apps, and sends an email notification, then associating it with an automation rule that runs automatically when the incident is created, meets all requirements with minimal manual effort. Option B is incorrect because it requires manual triggering. Option C is incorrect because Power Automate is not as tightly integrated as a Sentinel playbook. Option D is incorrect because it still requires manual investigation steps.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 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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