The answer is triage, investigation, and remediation. These three steps form the core incident response process within Microsoft Sentinel because the platform is designed to help security analysts quickly assess alerts during triage, deeply analyze threats during investigation, and then take automated or manual action during remediation. On the Microsoft Security Operations Analyst SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of Sentinel’s built-in workflow, which deliberately excludes the initial identification phase (as that occurs before an alert reaches Sentinel) and the final reporting phase (which is often handled outside the tool). A common trap is confusing identification with triage—remember that identification is the precursor where a signal is generated, while triage is the first step inside Sentinel where you validate and prioritize that signal. For a quick memory tip, think of the acronym TIR: Triage, Investigate, Remediate—the three actions you perform directly inside the Sentinel interface.
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.
Which THREE steps are part of the incident response process when using Microsoft Sentinel?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Investigate the incident using hunting queries and entity timelines.
The three correct steps are triage, investigation, and remediation. Identification is a precursor, and reporting is a final step but not always part of the core process in Sentinel.
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.
✗
Identify the incident by creating an analytics rule.
Why it's wrong here
Identification happens before the incident is created; analytics rules generate incidents.
✓
Investigate the incident using hunting queries and entity timelines.
Why this is correct
Investigation is a key step to understand the scope and impact.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Remediate the incident by running playbooks or manual actions.
Why this is correct
Remediation actions are taken to contain and eradicate the threat.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Report the incident to the security team via email.
Why it's wrong here
Reporting is part of communication but not a core step in the Sentinel incident response process.
✓
Triage the incident to determine severity.
Why this is correct
Triage is the first step to prioritize incidents.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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: Investigate the incident using hunting queries and entity timelines. — The three correct steps are triage, investigation, and remediation. Identification is a precursor, and reporting is a final step but not always part of the core process in Sentinel.
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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