The correct action is to configure basic logs ingestion for verbose data sources such as firewall logs. This approach directly addresses the need to reduce data ingestion cost with basic logs because Microsoft Sentinel’s basic logs tier stores high-volume, low-security-value data at a significantly lower rate while still enabling search and investigation capabilities. On the SC-200 exam, this question tests your understanding of cost optimization strategies within Sentinel’s log tiers, often appearing as a scenario where you must balance budget constraints with security monitoring. A common trap is choosing to reduce retention for all tables, which can delete critical security data, or disabling analytics rules, which weakens detection. The key insight is that basic logs are designed for verbose sources like firewall, DNS, or debug logs where you need occasional access but not real-time analytics. Memory tip: think “basic for bulk, analytics for alerts” — use basic logs for high-volume, low-value noise, and keep standard logs for actionable security events.
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. 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.
Your Microsoft Sentinel workspace is ingesting logs from multiple sources. You notice that the data ingestion cost is higher than expected. You want to reduce costs without losing security value. Which action should you take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure basic logs ingestion for verbose data sources such as firewall logs.
Option C is correct because using basic logs for high-volume, low-value data reduces costs while retaining the ability to search it. Option A is wrong because reducing retention for all tables might cause loss of important data. Option B is wrong because disabling analytics rules reduces detection capabilities. Option D is wrong because changing to Pay-as-you-go might increase costs if volume is high.
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.
✗
Reduce the retention period for all data to 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
This might cause loss of historical data needed for investigations.
✗
Switch the pricing tier from Capacity Reservations to Pay-as-you-go.
Why it's wrong here
Pay-as-you-go is more expensive for consistent high volume.
✗
Disable analytics rules that generate high volume of alerts.
Why it's wrong here
This reduces security monitoring capabilities.
✓
Configure basic logs ingestion for verbose data sources such as firewall logs.
Why this is correct
Basic logs are cheaper and still searchable for incident response.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
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: Configure basic logs ingestion for verbose data sources such as firewall logs. — Option C is correct because using basic logs for high-volume, low-value data reduces costs while retaining the ability to search it. Option A is wrong because reducing retention for all tables might cause loss of important data. Option B is wrong because disabling analytics rules reduces detection capabilities. Option D is wrong because changing to Pay-as-you-go might increase costs if volume is high.
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.
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Question Discussion
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