Tutorial / Cram Notes
The SC-200 Microsoft Security Operations Analyst exam focuses on evaluating an individual’s ability to perform threat management, monitoring, and response by using a variety of Microsoft security solutions. Being proficient in these areas includes understanding how to effectively use tools and features available within these solutions to track and manage security incidents.
One useful feature within Microsoft’s security solutions is bookmarking, which can be utilized in Microsoft Sentinel (formerly Azure Sentinel), Microsoft’s Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) solution. Bookmarks help analysts keep track of pertinent data as they investigate alerts or incidents.
How Bookmarks Work in Microsoft Sentinel
As you sift through the vast quantities of data within Sentinel, you may come across pieces of information that are pertinent to an investigation. To prevent losing track of this data, you can create a bookmark. Bookmarks can include data from logs, anomalies detected through machine learning, or findings that result from running queries on the log data.
Here are the steps to track query results with bookmarks:
- Running a Query: Start by running a Kusto Query Language (KQL) query to filter the logs and bring up relevant events or data points.
- Creating a Bookmark: After running the query, you can select the events or data points you want to save and create a bookmark. This bookmark will contain all the relevant details, including the time of the event, the resources involved, and a snippet of the raw data.
- Organizing Bookmarks: Bookmarks can be tagged and categorized to make them easy to find later. For instance, you could tag bookmarks related to a particular phishing campaign that you are investigating.
- Adding to an Investigation: Bookmarks can be added to an existing investigation to maintain a comprehensive overview of all related findings.
- Collaboration: Bookmarks can be shared with other team members, making collaborative investigations more streamlined.
Advantages of Using Bookmarks
| Advantage | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Improves Efficiency | Enables analysts to quickly revisit important data points without rerunning queries. |
| Provides Context | Captures everything related to an event at a specific point in time, aiding in contextual analysis. |
| Enhances Collaboration | Other team members can access the bookmarks, making it easier to work on joint investigations. |
| Better Organization | Tags and categorization help to manage bookmarks, especially when dealing with numerous incidents. |
| Streamlines Investigations | Incorporation of bookmarks into investigations keeps relevant data in one accessible place. |
Example Use Case
Consider you are an analyst monitoring a potential security breach. You might run a query that looks for any login attempts from geographically anomalous locations. Upon finding such an event, you can create a bookmark titled “Geo-Anomalous Login Attempt” with tags like “potential breach” and “high priority.” You can then add notes or additional context to the bookmark to facilitate further examination, and include it in an ongoing investigation to aggregate events related to the breach.
Bookmarks are a crucial tool for analysts, especially when preparing for the SC-200 exam. They encapsulate the need for efficient data management and ease of access – skills that are essential for any security operations analyst handling Microsoft security solutions. Understanding bookmarks, how they can be created, managed, and utilized, will be a valuable part of the knowledge base tested in the SC-200 exam.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: Bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel can only be created for active incidents.
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False
Explanation: Bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel can be created for any notable events or to save interesting query results, not just for active incidents.
True or False: When you create a new bookmark, you can link it to an existing incident.
-
True
Explanation: When creating a bookmark, you have the option to associate it with an existing incident, which can help in incident investigations.
In Microsoft Sentinel, which information can be included in bookmarks? (Select all that apply)
- A. Query
- B. Start and end time of the event
- C. Notes about the query results
- D. Scheduling information to run the query at specific intervals
Answer: A, B, C
Explanation: Bookmarks can include the query, the time range (start and end time) relevant to the event and any notes. Scheduling information is not part of bookmarks – it’s part of automation and alert rule configurations.
True or False: Bookmarks must be manually created by an analyst and cannot be generated through an automated process.
-
False
Explanation: While bookmarks can be created manually by analysts, they can also be generated through automated processes using playbooks or analytics rules.
Which of the following actions can you perform on a bookmark in Microsoft Sentinel? (Multiple select)
- A. Assign the bookmark to a user
- B. Directly convert the bookmark into an incident
- C. Delete the bookmark permanently
- D. Modify the original query that created the bookmark
Answer: A, B, C
Explanation: You can assign a bookmark to a user, directly convert it into an incident, and delete it if no longer needed. Modifications are made to the bookmark itself; however, the original query cannot be modified through the bookmark entity.
True or False: Bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel are tightly integrated with Azure Logic Apps for workflow automation.
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True
Explanation: Microsoft Sentinel can integrate with Azure Logic Apps, allowing for the automation of workflows in response to playbook execution that may include bookmark creation or manipulation.
When creating a bookmark, which of the following can you use to describe or categorize the event? (Single select)
- A. Severity levels
- B. Tags
- C. Bookmarks groups
- D. Named locations
Answer: B
Explanation: Tags are used to describe or categorize bookmarks, which can help in filtering and searching for specific events or themes.
True or False: You can use bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel to aggregate multiple related events into a single entity.
-
True
Explanation: Bookmarks can be used to group related events, which aids in structuring the investigation by correlating and consolidating information.
What is the primary purpose of a bookmark in Microsoft Sentinel?
- A. To immediately block a detected threat
- B. To save the results of a query for further investigation
- C. To send email notifications to the security team
- D. To generate automated incident response actions
Answer: B
Explanation: The primary purpose of a bookmark is to preserve the results of a potentially interesting query for later review and further investigation.
True or False: Bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel are ephemeral and expire after 90 days by default.
-
False
Explanation: Bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel do not have a default expiry time and remain until they are manually deleted by a user.
Interview Questions
What are bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel?
Bookmarks are saved records of important data, such as search queries or results, that can be accessed and viewed later.
How do you create a bookmark in Microsoft Sentinel?
To create a bookmark, run a query or investigation, and then click the “Add to bookmarks” button located in the command bar at the top of the page.
Can you customize a bookmark name and description?
Yes, when creating a bookmark, you can customize the name and add a description.
How can you view your saved bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel?
To view saved bookmarks, click on the “Bookmarks” option in the navigation menu on the left-hand side of the page.
What is the purpose of using bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel?
Bookmarks can be used to save frequently used queries or investigations for quick access and review later, and also to share insights with others.
Can you delete a bookmark in Microsoft Sentinel?
Yes, to delete a bookmark, hover over the bookmark you want to delete and click on the “Delete” icon that appears.
How can you share a bookmark in Microsoft Sentinel?
To share a bookmark, select the bookmark you want to share, and then click the “Share” button. This will generate a link that can be shared with others.
What are some best practices when using bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel?
Some best practices for using bookmarks in Microsoft Sentinel include naming bookmarks in a way that is easily recognizable, using tags to categorize bookmarks, and periodically reviewing bookmarks to ensure they are still relevant.
Can you export bookmark data from Microsoft Sentinel?
Yes, you can export bookmark data to a CSV file, which can then be imported into other tools or used for data analysis.
How do bookmarks integrate with other features in Microsoft Sentinel, such as workbooks?
Bookmarks can be used to populate data in workbooks, allowing for more efficient and streamlined data analysis and reporting.
Great post! Tracking query results with bookmarks is a game-changer for managing large sets of data during incident investigations.
I’m glad you found it useful. Bookmarks definitely help in keeping track of queries and results without losing context.
Can someone explain how to use bookmarks in Sentinel? I’m prepping for the SC-200 exam and need some hands-on pointers.
Do bookmarks retain the queries or just the results?
This is really handy for security operations teams. Quick question: how do bookmarks help in incident investigations?
Thanks for this blog post! It really helped clarify some aspects I was confused about.
Just a thought: is there a way to share bookmarks with team members?
Perfect timing! I’m working on my SC-200 certification and this was exactly what I needed.