The correct configuration is to set up automated investigation and response (AIR) for Identity alerts within Microsoft Defender XDR. This is because Microsoft Defender for Identity alerts are natively integrated into the Defender XDR platform, which provides centralized AIR capabilities that can automatically trigger remediation actions—such as suspending compromised accounts or blocking suspicious activities—without requiring custom scripts or third-party tools. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of how Defender for Identity’s high-confidence alerts feed into the broader XDR ecosystem, and a common trap is to mistakenly configure a separate playbook in Azure Sentinel or rely on manual response rules. Remember that Defender XDR acts as the unified orchestration engine for identity-based threats. A helpful memory tip: “XDR is the air traffic controller for Identity alerts—configure AIR there, not in isolated tools.”
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. 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.
You are responsible for Microsoft Defender for Identity. The security team reports that some high-confidence alerts are not triggering any automated response. You need to automate the response for these alerts. What should you configure?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
In Microsoft Defender XDR, configure automated investigation and response for Identity alerts.
Option C is correct because Microsoft Defender for Identity alerts are natively integrated into Microsoft Defender XDR (formerly Microsoft 365 Defender), which provides automated investigation and response (AIR) capabilities. By configuring AIR for Identity alerts in Defender XDR, you can automatically trigger remediation actions such as suspending compromised accounts or blocking suspicious activities without additional scripting or third-party tools.
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.
✗
Use Microsoft Intune to trigger a script on domain controllers when an alert fires.
Why it's wrong here
Intune manages devices, not identity alerts.
✗
Create an automation rule in Microsoft Sentinel to respond to Identity alerts.
Why it's wrong here
Automation rules apply to Sentinel incidents, not directly to Defender for Identity alerts.
✓
In Microsoft Defender XDR, configure automated investigation and response for Identity alerts.
Why this is correct
Defender XDR provides AIR for Identity alerts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure Microsoft Purview compliance policies to respond to Identity alerts.
Why it's wrong here
Purview is for compliance, not incident response.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Microsoft Sentinel (a SIEM/SOAR) with the native automated investigation and response capabilities within Microsoft Defender XDR, assuming that any automation must go through Sentinel, when in fact Defender XDR provides built-in AIR for its own alerts including Identity alerts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Microsoft Defender for Identity uses sensors on domain controllers to capture network traffic and event logs, then correlates them to detect attacks like Pass-the-Hash or DCSync. When integrated with Defender XDR, these alerts can trigger automated investigation playbooks that leverage the Microsoft Graph Security API to perform actions like disabling a user account or revoking Kerberos tickets, all orchestrated through the unified AIR engine without requiring custom scripts or external SOAR tools.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
Manage a security operations environment — This question tests Manage a security operations environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: In Microsoft Defender XDR, configure automated investigation and response for Identity alerts. — Option C is correct because Microsoft Defender for Identity alerts are natively integrated into Microsoft Defender XDR (formerly Microsoft 365 Defender), which provides automated investigation and response (AIR) capabilities. By configuring AIR for Identity alerts in Defender XDR, you can automatically trigger remediation actions such as suspending compromised accounts or blocking suspicious activities without additional scripting or third-party tools.
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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Question Discussion
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