About MS-500 Exam
The Microsoft MS-500 exam is designed for Microsoft 365 Security Administrators. These specialists implement, manage and monitor security and compliance solutions for Microsoft 365 and functional hybrid environments. Other typical responsibilities of these professionals include securing a functional Microsoft 365 enterprise environment, implementing data governance, and responding to threats. They work closely with Workload Administrators, Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrators, and other key stakeholders to plan and implement security solutions and policies for their organizations.
Subsequent Certification Path
The Microsoft MS-500 exam is intended to validate IT professionals’ skills needed to pursue the Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate certificate. This is an intermediate-level learning path that proves one’s mastery in implementing security solutions and strategies for the Microsoft 365 Enterprise environments. After earning this certification, you may opt to focus on acquiring more skills in the same path or building your career around other unique accreditations from Microsoft or other reputable vendors.
Microsoft MS-500 Exam Information
This exam features between 40 to 60 tasks that are exclusively in multiple-choice format. It can be taken in the English or Japanese language, and scheduling it costs at least $165. Usually, candidates are given a maximum of 130 minutes to complete the exam, and prior familiarity with the covered domains is the easiest way to crack it.
Focusing on the MS-500 Exam Content Outline
The exact score one has to achieve to get a pass status is not revealed by the vendor, so you will only know if you pass or fail when obtaining final results. That is why it is crucial to prepare well so as to ace each and every question and ensure getting a good mark. The sections that form the curriculum of the Microsoft MS-500 exam are the following:
1. Using and operating identity and access
This is the largest domain associated with MS-500 exam. By answering its questions, the candidates will verify their skills in securing identities, securing Microsoft 365 hybrid environments, implementing conditional access, implementing role-based access control (RBAC), applying Azure AD PIM, and implementing Azure AD identity protection as well as applying authentication methods. Generally, candidates are expected to demonstrate their understanding of planning Azure AD authentication and synchronization options, implementing password management as well as setting up identity governance, managing and monitoring MFA, implementing and managing conditional access, planning, configuring, and auditing roles, and planning sign-on security. Also, one should be skilled in applying user risk policy, responding to risk events, monitoring PIM alerts and history, and other tasks.
2. Usage and management of threat protection
In the second part of your training, you need to focus on the skills that relate to the implementation of an enterprise hybrid threat protection solution, implementation of device threat protection, application and management of app and device protection along with Microsoft Defender for Office 365, and monitoring of Microsoft 365 Security with the help of Azure Sentinel. Because of its detailed nature, candidates should ensure they are familiar with handling a wide range of security issues within the Microsoft 365 environment as addressed by this domain. These include the management of exploit protection, the configuration of Secure Boot, utilizing Attack Simulator to conduct simulated attacks, and more.
3. Using and operating the information protection
This domain is brief but vital to your success in the Microsoft MS-500 exam. Here, the concepts are tailored to suit the following skills: securing access to data in Office 365, managing data loss prevention (DLP), implementing and managing Microsoft Cloud App security, and managing sensitivity labels. This section entails the planning of a DLP solution, configuring and using label analytics, monitoring DLP reports, managing DLP notifications, app management in cloud app security, and configuring Microsoft Cloud App security, among other concepts.
4. Managing the governance and compliance features in Microsoft 365
Finally, this section will highlight the candidate’s knowledge of analyzing as well as setting up security reporting, analyzing and managing audit logs and reports, managing data governance and retention, managing search and investigation, and managing data privacy regulation compliance. It measures the student’s knowledge and skills in managing eDiscovery cases, finding and recovering deleted data in Office 365, configuring policies and retention labels, configuring information holds and managing Data Subject Requests (DSRs). In addition, it will address planning for data retention and governance, configuring data archiving, exporting content, managing inactive mailboxes, and configuring alert policy among other skills.
Of course, we have only tried to give a skeleton of the Microsoft MS-500 exam curriculum and our coverage is not exhaustive. So, it would help to visit the official certification page to find out crucial and updated details about this test and the entire accreditation path.
Career Prospects: Microsoft 365 Security Administrator
Microsoft 365 security administrators ensure the safety of hybrid and Microsoft 365 enterprise environments. They have exceptional mastery of the management and implementation of security solutions and identify threats and respond to them when called upon. Also, they manage and monitor security and compliance solutions for operational Microsoft 365 infrastructures. In general, this role requires exclusive knowledge of security management, data governance, as well as skills in the protection of information and identity. According to PayScale.com, security administrators earn an average salary of $67k per year.
Further Certification Path
What follows after passing the Microsoft MS-500 exam? Well, turns out this is just a starting point for many IT professionals working in this niche. So, after recording excellent results in this test, they will likely want to fast-track their career growth by opting for advanced-level certificates that target similar roles. Usually, one of the best certifications to pursue after acing MS-500 is the Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert accreditation. It is designed to validate Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrators who demonstrate a strong understanding of the evaluation, planning, migration, deployment, and management of the Microsoft 365 services. To obtain it, candidates must fulfill all the training requirements, which include attaining one of the following certificates:
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate
