- A
Analytics rules
Why wrong: Analytics rules generate incidents, they do not close them.
- B
Automation rules
Automation rules can automatically close incidents based on conditions such as severity or title.
- C
Playbooks
Why wrong: Playbooks can close incidents but are typically triggered by automation rules, not the direct cause of automatic closure.
- D
Workbooks
Why wrong: Workbooks are for visualization, not incident closure.
- E
Watchlists
Why wrong: Watchlists are for correlation and enrichment, not incident closure.
Question 674 of 1,639
Investigating Automated Incident Closure
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. A security analyst reports that an incident was automatically closed without investigation. You need to identify why the incident was closed automatically. Which Sentinel feature should you review?
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
✓
Automation rules
Automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel allow you to define automated responses to incidents, including automatically closing them based on specific conditions (e.g., severity, title, or entity). If an incident was closed without investigation, an automation rule likely triggered a closure action, such as setting the status to 'Closed' with a specific classification. Reviewing the automation rules list and their trigger conditions will reveal which rule caused the automatic closure.
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.
- ✗
Analytics rules
Why it's wrong here
Analytics rules generate incidents, they do not close them.
- ✓
Automation rules
Why this is correct
Automation rules can automatically close incidents based on conditions such as severity or title.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Playbooks
Why it's wrong here
Playbooks can close incidents but are typically triggered by automation rules, not the direct cause of automatic closure.
- ✗
Workbooks
Why it's wrong here
Workbooks are for visualization, not incident closure.
- ✗
Watchlists
Why it's wrong here
Watchlists are for correlation and enrichment, not incident closure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse automation rules with playbooks, thinking playbooks directly close incidents, but in Sentinel, playbooks are only triggered by automation rules and the closure action is defined in the automation rule itself, not in the playbook.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Automation rules in Sentinel operate at the incident level and can execute actions like changing status, assigning ownership, or running a playbook. They are evaluated in order of priority, and the first matching rule applies; if a rule has an action to close an incident with a specific classification (e.g., 'FalsePositive'), it will close it immediately upon creation. A common subtlety is that automation rules can be triggered on incident creation or update, and if a rule is misconfigured with a broad condition (e.g., all incidents), it can close incidents before an analyst ever sees them.
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: Automation rules — Automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel allow you to define automated responses to incidents, including automatically closing them based on specific conditions (e.g., severity, title, or entity). If an incident was closed without investigation, an automation rule likely triggered a closure action, such as setting the status to 'Closed' with a specific classification. Reviewing the automation rules list and their trigger conditions will reveal which rule caused the automatic closure.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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