The answer is an automation rule that triggers a playbook, because Microsoft Sentinel uses automation rules to execute Azure Logic Apps-based playbooks automatically when incidents are created or updated. When a high-severity incident is created, an automation rule evaluates conditions like severity and then runs the associated playbook, which can send a Teams notification and create a ServiceNow ticket without manual intervention. On the SC-200 exam, this concept tests your understanding of incident response automation versus alert generation—a common trap is confusing analytics rules (which create alerts) with automation rules (which act on incidents). Remember that playbooks are triggered by automation rules, not by analytics rules or workbooks. A helpful memory tip: think of automation rules as the "when" and playbooks as the "what"—the rule decides when to act, and the playbook defines the action.
SC-200 Respond to security incidents Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of respond to security incidents. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
An organization uses Microsoft Sentinel. A security engineer needs to set up automatic response actions when a high-severity incident is created. The engineer wants to trigger a playbook that sends a notification to a Microsoft Teams channel and creates a ticket in ServiceNow. What should the engineer use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
An automation rule that triggers a playbook
Option B is correct because automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel can trigger playbooks (Azure Logic Apps) when incidents are created or updated. Option A is wrong because analytics rules create alerts, not incidents directly. Option C is wrong because workbooks are for visualization, not automation. Option D is wrong because watchlists are for correlation, not automated 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.
✓
An automation rule that triggers a playbook
Why this is correct
Automation rules are designed to run playbooks in response to incident creation or update.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An analytics rule with incident creation enabled
Why it's wrong here
Analytics rules create incidents, but they do not trigger playbooks directly.
✗
A watchlist to detect the incident
Why it's wrong here
Watchlists are used for data enrichment, not automated response.
✗
A workbook with a custom alert
Why it's wrong here
Workbooks are for reporting, not automation.
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: An automation rule that triggers a playbook — Option B is correct because automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel can trigger playbooks (Azure Logic Apps) when incidents are created or updated. Option A is wrong because analytics rules create alerts, not incidents directly. Option C is wrong because workbooks are for visualization, not automation. Option D is wrong because watchlists are for correlation, not automated 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.
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. Your organization uses Microsoft Sentinel. You have a requirement to automatically add a tag to incidents that involve a specific user. The tag should be added when the incident is created. What should you configure?
hard
A.Add the user to a watchlist and create a fusion rule.
✓ B.Create an automation rule that triggers on incident creation and runs a playbook with the 'Add tag' action.
C.Modify the analytics rule to include a tag in the incident configuration.
D.Enable entity behavior analytics to automatically tag incidents.
Why B: Option A is correct because an automation rule can run a playbook that adds a tag based on incident properties. Option B is wrong because watchlists are for enrichment, not tagging. Option C is wrong because analytics rules create alerts, not tags. Option D is wrong because entity behavior analytics does not add tags.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.