- A
Run an automated playbook to contain the threat
Why wrong: Playbooks are run after triage and assessment.
- B
Close the incident as false positive
Why wrong: Closing without investigation is inappropriate.
- C
Triage the incident by reviewing the evidence
Triage confirms the validity and urgency.
- D
Escalate the incident to senior management
Why wrong: Escalation should occur after triage.
Question 463 of 1,639
First Step in Incident Triage in Microsoft Sentinel — Review Evidence from Fusion Rules
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.
In Microsoft Sentinel, an incident is created from a Fusion rule that correlates multiple alerts. The incident has a high severity. What should the analyst do first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
✓
Triage the incident by reviewing the evidence
Option C is correct because the first step in incident response within Microsoft Sentinel is to triage the incident by reviewing the evidence. A Fusion rule correlates multiple alerts into a single incident, and the analyst must examine the correlated alerts, entities, and timeline to validate the incident's legitimacy and understand the scope before taking any action. Automated playbooks or escalations should only occur after triage confirms the incident is a genuine threat.
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.
- ✗
Run an automated playbook to contain the threat
Why it's wrong here
Playbooks are run after triage and assessment.
- ✗
Close the incident as false positive
Why it's wrong here
Closing without investigation is inappropriate.
- ✓
Triage the incident by reviewing the evidence
Why this is correct
Triage confirms the validity and urgency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Escalate the incident to senior management
Why it's wrong here
Escalation should occur after triage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume a high-severity incident automatically requires immediate containment or escalation, but Microsoft Sentinel's incident response process mandates triage first to validate the correlation and avoid acting on false positives.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Fusion rules in Microsoft Sentinel use machine learning to correlate multiple low-fidelity alerts across different data sources (e.g., Azure AD, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint) into a single high-fidelity incident. The evidence includes the raw alerts, entities (IPs, users, hosts), and the kill chain mapping, which the analyst must review in the Sentinel incident blade to determine if the correlation is valid. A real-world scenario might involve a Fusion rule correlating a suspicious sign-in from a new location with a subsequent malware detection, requiring the analyst to verify the user's identity and the alert timestamps before triggering a playbook.
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?
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: Triage the incident by reviewing the evidence — Option C is correct because the first step in incident response within Microsoft Sentinel is to triage the incident by reviewing the evidence. A Fusion rule correlates multiple alerts into a single incident, and the analyst must examine the correlated alerts, entities, and timeline to validate the incident's legitimacy and understand the scope before taking any action. Automated playbooks or escalations should only occur after triage confirms the incident is a genuine threat.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 →
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. Your organization uses Microsoft Sentinel. A fusion incident was created involving multiple alerts from different sources. You need to investigate the incident to determine if it is a true positive. What is the first step you should take?
medium- A.Run a KQL query on the raw logs to see if the alerts are connected.
- B.Assign the incident to a senior analyst for further investigation.
- ✓ C.Review the incident timeline and entity mapping in the incident details.
- D.Close the incident as a false positive if the alerts seem unrelated.
Why C: Option C is correct because the first step in investigating a Fusion incident in Microsoft Sentinel is to review the incident timeline and entity mapping. This provides a consolidated view of all correlated alerts, their timestamps, and the entities involved (e.g., IP addresses, user accounts), enabling you to quickly assess whether the alerts are logically connected and indicative of a true positive attack chain. Starting with this high-level overview is efficient before diving into raw logs.
Variation 2. Your organization uses Microsoft Sentinel. A security incident is created, and the assigned analyst needs to perform initial triage. What is the first step the analyst should take according to Microsoft best practices for incident response?
easy- A.Contain the affected resources immediately to prevent further damage.
- B.Run a full investigation using Microsoft 365 Defender hunting queries.
- ✓ C.Review the incident details and verify the alert is a true positive.
- D.Escalate the incident to the senior security team.
Why C: Option C is correct because the first step in the Microsoft incident response process is to verify the alert and determine its validity. Option A is wrong because containment should follow after verification. Option B is wrong because escalating before verification bypasses triage. Option D is wrong because detailed investigation comes after initial triage.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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