The answer is to create an automation rule in Microsoft Sentinel that runs a playbook to isolate devices and disable accounts. This is correct because automation rules act as the trigger layer, while playbooks—built on Azure Logic Apps—execute the cross-product containment actions, such as isolating endpoints via Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and disabling compromised accounts in Microsoft Entra ID. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Sentinel orchestrates response across multiple security products; a common trap is choosing automated investigation in Defender for Endpoint, which only handles device isolation and ignores account disablement. Remember that automation rules are the “when” and playbooks are the “what”—they bridge alerts from Defender for Office 365, Defender for Endpoint, and Entra ID into a single, automated containment workflow. A useful memory tip: “Rule triggers, playbook does the work—isolate the device, disable the jerk.”
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.
During a ransomware incident, Microsoft Sentinel generated an incident with high severity. The incident includes alerts from Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender for Office 365, and Microsoft Entra ID. Your team needs to automate the containment process. What is the best approach to automatically isolate affected devices and disable compromised accounts?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 in Microsoft Sentinel that runs a playbook to isolate devices and disable accounts
Option D is correct because automation rules in Sentinel can trigger playbooks that perform cross-product actions like isolation and account disablement. Option A is wrong because automated investigation in Defender for Endpoint only isolates devices, not accounts. Option B is wrong because custom detection rules only create alerts, not automated responses. Option C is wrong because advanced hunting is manual and does not automate response.
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 advanced hunting to find all affected devices and accounts
Why it's wrong here
Hunting is a manual investigation step, not automated containment.
✓
Create an automation rule in Microsoft Sentinel that runs a playbook to isolate devices and disable accounts
Why this is correct
Automation rules with playbooks can orchestrate cross-domain containment actions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a custom detection rule in Microsoft Sentinel to trigger an incident
Why it's wrong here
Custom rules create alerts but do not automate response actions.
✗
Configure automated investigation and response in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Why it's wrong here
This only handles endpoint isolation, not account disablement.
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: Create an automation rule in Microsoft Sentinel that runs a playbook to isolate devices and disable accounts — Option D is correct because automation rules in Sentinel can trigger playbooks that perform cross-product actions like isolation and account disablement. Option A is wrong because automated investigation in Defender for Endpoint only isolates devices, not accounts. Option B is wrong because custom detection rules only create alerts, not automated responses. Option C is wrong because advanced hunting is manual and does not automate response.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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. An organization uses Microsoft Sentinel for security operations. A security engineer needs to automatically disable a compromised user account in Microsoft Entra ID when a high-severity incident is created in Sentinel. Which feature should the engineer use?
easy
A.Analytics rule
B.Workbook
✓ C.Automation rule with a playbook
D.Hunting query
Why C: Option B is correct because automation rules in Sentinel trigger playbooks on incident creation. Option A is wrong because analytics rules only create alerts, not actions on users. Option C is wrong because workbooks are for visualization, not automation. Option D is wrong because hunting queries are manual.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
Question Discussion
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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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