The correct choice is to create an automation rule that runs a playbook when an incident is created. This works because automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel are designed to trigger automated responses based on specific conditions, such as incident creation, and they can invoke a playbook—an Azure Logic Apps workflow—to execute actions like sending an email to the on-call security engineer. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how automation rules orchestrate incident response without requiring manual intervention; a common trap is confusing automation rules with analytics rules or playbooks alone, but remember that the automation rule is the trigger that calls the playbook. For the memory tip, think of the automation rule as the “when” and the playbook as the “what”—the rule says “when an incident is created,” and the playbook says “send the email.”
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. 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.
You manage Microsoft Sentinel. You need to ensure that an automated response is triggered when a specific type of incident is created. The response should send an email to the on-call security engineer. What should you use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an automation rule that runs a playbook when an incident is created.
Option B is correct because automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel can trigger a playbook (an Azure Logic Apps workflow) when an incident is created. The playbook can include an action to send an email to the on-call security engineer, providing the automated response required by the scenario.
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 a watchlist to map incident types to email addresses and configure a scheduled query.
Why it's wrong here
Watchlists are reference data, not for automated response.
✓
Create an automation rule that runs a playbook when an incident is created.
Why this is correct
Automation rules can trigger playbooks on incident creation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Modify the analytics rule to include an email action in the rule settings.
Why it's wrong here
Analytics rules do not have email actions.
✗
Create a workbook that alerts via email when new incidents appear.
Why it's wrong here
Workbooks are for visualization, not for triggering actions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse automation rules with analytics rule settings or workbooks, mistakenly thinking that email actions can be configured directly in the analytics rule or that workbooks can send alerts, when in fact only automation rules with playbooks provide the necessary automated response capability.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel evaluate incident creation events and can invoke a playbook via an Azure Logic Apps HTTP trigger. The playbook uses connectors like Office 365 Outlook or SMTP to send the email, and you can dynamically populate the recipient address using the incident's properties or an external source like a watchlist. In a real-world scenario, you might combine an automation rule with a playbook that queries a watchlist to map incident types to specific email addresses, ensuring the correct on-call engineer is notified.
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.
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: Create an automation rule that runs a playbook when an incident is created. — Option B is correct because automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel can trigger a playbook (an Azure Logic Apps workflow) when an incident is created. The playbook can include an action to send an email to the on-call security engineer, providing the automated response required by the scenario.
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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