The answer is that the Microsoft Defender for Cloud connector in Microsoft Sentinel is not enabled or misconfigured. This is the most likely cause because the connector serves as the essential data bridge that allows security alerts from Defender for Cloud to flow into Sentinel; without it properly configured, incidents simply cannot be created from those alerts. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of data ingestion pipelines and the critical role connectors play in enabling automated incident creation, a common trap being that learners often blame playbook permissions or analytics rules first. Remember that playbooks execute after an incident exists, and default incident creation from Defender for Cloud alerts does not require a separate analytics rule—the connector itself handles that mapping. A helpful memory tip is "connector first, playbook second": if alerts aren't arriving, always check the connector before troubleshooting automation.
SC-200 Respond to security incidents Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of respond to security incidents. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 and Microsoft Defender for Cloud. You receive an alert from Defender for Cloud indicating that a virtual machine has a high severity vulnerability (CVE-2023-XXXX). You need to create an incident in Microsoft Sentinel and trigger a playbook to remediate the vulnerability. However, the incident is not being created automatically. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The Microsoft Defender for Cloud connector in Microsoft Sentinel is not enabled or misconfigured
The correct answer is B because the connector must be enabled and configured properly for alerts to flow from Defender for Cloud to Sentinel. Option A is wrong because incorrect playbook permissions would affect playbook execution, not incident creation. Option C is wrong because analytics rules are not required for default incident creation. Option D is wrong because the free tier is functional but may have limitations.
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.
✓
The Microsoft Defender for Cloud connector in Microsoft Sentinel is not enabled or misconfigured
Why this is correct
The connector must be enabled for alert ingestion.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An analytics rule with a matching severity threshold has not been created
Why it's wrong here
Incidents are created automatically from Defender for Cloud alerts.
✗
The free trial of Microsoft Sentinel has expired
Why it's wrong here
Free trial expiration would not affect existing connectors.
✗
The playbook does not have the correct permissions on the target VM
Why it's wrong here
This would affect playbook execution, not incident creation.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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: The Microsoft Defender for Cloud connector in Microsoft Sentinel is not enabled or misconfigured — The correct answer is B because the connector must be enabled and configured properly for alerts to flow from Defender for Cloud to Sentinel. Option A is wrong because incorrect playbook permissions would affect playbook execution, not incident creation. Option C is wrong because analytics rules are not required for default incident creation. Option D is wrong because the free tier is functional but may have limitations.
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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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