The answer is to investigate the alert by reviewing related entities and logs. This is the correct first step because low-confidence alerts from Microsoft Defender for Identity are designed to flag suspicious but ambiguous behavior, such as anomalous logon attempts or unusual Kerberos activity, which require human analysis to distinguish a true positive from a false positive. On the SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the incident triage workflow in Microsoft Sentinel, where the analyst must prioritize investigation over automated actions—a common trap is jumping to suppression or automation before confirming the alert’s validity. Remember the memory tip: “Low confidence means look first, not lock or block.”
SC-200 Respond to security incidents Practice Question
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.
You receive an incident in Microsoft Sentinel that is a low-confidence alert from Microsoft Defender for Identity. What should be your first step?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Investigate the alert by reviewing related entities and logs.
Option A is correct. The analyst should first investigate to determine if the alert is a true positive. Option B is premature without investigation. Option C is a post-investigation step. Option D is not appropriate for a low-confidence alert.
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.
✓
Investigate the alert by reviewing related entities and logs.
Why this is correct
Investigation determines if the alert is a true positive before taking action.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Close the incident as a false positive.
Why it's wrong here
Closing without investigation may miss a real threat.
✗
Escalate to senior management.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation is not necessary for a low-confidence alert without investigation.
✗
Isolate the affected account immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Isolation without investigation could disrupt legitimate user activity.
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 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.
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: Investigate the alert by reviewing related entities and logs. — Option A is correct. The analyst should first investigate to determine if the alert is a true positive. Option B is premature without investigation. Option C is a post-investigation step. Option D is not appropriate for a low-confidence alert.
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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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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