The Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500 exam is designed for individuals who have experience in implementing security controls and threat protection, managing identity and access, and protecting data, applications, and networks in cloud and hybrid environments using Azure services. The exam is one of the requirements for earning the Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate certification.
The exam measures the candidate’s knowledge and skills in various domains related to Azure security, including Azure Security Center, Identity and Access Management, Platform Protection, Data and Application Protection, and Monitoring and Reporting.
The purpose of this AZ-500 cheat sheet is to provide a quick reference guide for the key topics and concepts covered in the Microsoft Azure Security Technologies exam. The cheat sheet can be used as a study aid to help candidates prepare for the exam or as a quick reference guide for those who want to refresh their knowledge of Azure security.
Prerequisites for the Exam:
To be eligible for the Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500 exam, candidates need a strong grasp of Azure basics, practical experience in applying security measures and defenses against threats, expertise in handling identity and access, and safeguarding data, applications, and networks within both cloud and hybrid setups, utilizing Azure services.
Microsoft recommends that candidates have at least one year of experience in Azure security and should be familiar with Azure services, Azure workloads, security controls for Azure, and security operations. Additionally, candidates should have knowledge of scripting languages such as PowerShell and should be familiar with cloud computing concepts and technologies.
Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500 Exam Glossary
Here is a glossary of terms related to the Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500 Exam:
- Azure Active Directory (Azure AD): A cloud-based identity and access management service provided by Microsoft Azure.
- Azure Information Protection (AIP): A cloud-based service that helps organizations classify and protect sensitive information.
- Understand Azure Security Center: A unified security management solution that provides threat protection across hybrid cloud workloads.
- Azure Security Center Standard tier: An advanced security management solution that provides advanced threat protection, security alerts, and security recommendations.
- Learn Azure Sentinel: A cloud-based SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) service that provides intelligent security analytics.
- Azure Virtual Network (VNet): A logically isolated network in the Azure cloud that enables secure communication between Azure resources.
- Conditional Access: A feature in Azure AD that enables administrators to set policies that control access to applications and resources based on various conditions.
- Key Vault: A service based in the cloud that allows customers to protect and oversee cryptographic keys and confidential information.
- Network Security Group (NSG): A security group that controls traffic flow to and from Azure resources.
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): A security management strategy that merges security information management (SIM) and security event management (SEM) to offer immediate analysis of security alerts generated by network equipment and applications in real-time.
- Secure Score: A feature in Azure Security Center that provides a score based on an organization’s security posture and provides recommendations to improve security.
- Threat Intelligence: Information about potential or actual security threats, such as indicators of compromise (IOCs) and malicious URLs, that can be used to improve security defenses.
- Virtual Private Network (VPN): A secure connection between two networks that allows remote access to a private network, such as an Azure Virtual Network.
Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500 Study Guide
Here are some Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500 exam resources with official links:
- Exam information and objectives: This page provides information about the exam, including objectives, format, and registration information. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-500
- Exam preparation guide: This guide provides a list of skills that are measured in the exam and links to relevant Microsoft documentation and learning resources. https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE4YCXp
- Microsoft Learn: This is a free, online learning platform with a variety of courses, modules, and learning paths related to Azure security. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/azure-security/
- Microsoft Docs: This is a comprehensive documentation website that provides detailed information on various Azure security services and features. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/
- Azure Security Center documentation: This documentation provides information about Azure Security Center and its features, including threat protection, vulnerability management, and security policy management. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security-center/
- Azure Key Vault documentation: This documentation provides information about Azure Key Vault and its features, including key management and secrets management. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/
- Microsoft Azure YouTube channel: This channel provides video tutorials and presentations on various Azure services and features, including Azure security. https://www.youtube.com/user/windowsazure
Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500 Exam Tips and Tricks
If you’re preparing for the Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500 exam, here are some tips and tricks that can help you to increase your chances of passing the exam:
- Understand the Exam Topics: Make sure you have a clear understanding of the topics covered in the exam. Review the exam objectives and identify areas where you may need additional study and practice.
- Review Azure Security Services: Azure has several security services and features, such as Azure Security Center, Azure Information Protection, Azure Key Vault, and more. Make sure you have a good understanding of these services and how to configure and manage them.
- Know Azure Governance: Understand how to implement governance controls, including policies, role-based access control (RBAC), and Azure Blueprints. Know how to monitor compliance and report on resource access.
- Practice with Azure Active Directory: Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is a crucial component of Azure security. Know how to configure and manage Azure AD, including conditional access policies, multi-factor authentication, and identity protection.
- Study Azure Networking Security: Azure provides various networking security features such as Virtual Network, Network Security Group, and Azure Firewall. Know how to configure and manage these features.
- Get Hands-On Experience: To prepare for the exam, practice with Azure security features and services. Set up test environments and practice configuring and managing security controls.
- Use Microsoft Resources: Microsoft provides various study materials and resources to help you prepare for the exam. Use official Microsoft documentation, training, and practice tests to supplement your study efforts.
- Manage Your Time: The AZ-500 exam is timed, so make sure you manage your time well during the exam. Read and understand the questions carefully and use your time wisely to answer all questions.
Quick Cheat Sheet for Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500
This exam is a stepping stone to your dream career therefore, you should prepare with all your focus. Revising for the exam is a huge task. This Cheat Sheet details the steps that will ensure your success in the exam. Also, it highlights the resources that will define your journey to success.
1. Familiarise with Exam Objectives
To begin, you must have a thorough awareness of the exam standards and guidelines. To succeed in the test, you need to familiarise yourself with the exam course and ideas. Furthermore, it is critical for your test preparations to build your study strategy around the exam objectives. You must commit sufficient time to each of the four domains covered by this test. The following are the exam subjects for the AZ-500:
Manage identity and access (25–30%)
Manage identities in Microsoft Entra ID
- Secure users in Microsoft Entra ID
- Secure directory groups in Microsoft Entra ID
- Recommend when to use external identities (Microsoft Documentation: External Identities in Azure Active Directory)
- Secure external identities
- Implement Microsoft Entra Identity Protection (Microsoft Documentation: What is Identity Protection)
Manage authentication by using Microsoft Entra ID
- Configure Microsoft Entra Verified ID (Microsoft Documentation: Configure your tenant for Microsoft Entra Verified ID)
- Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) (Microsoft Documentation: Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication)
- Implement passwordless authentication (Microsoft Documentation: Enable passwordless sign-in with Microsoft Authenticator)
- Implement password protection (Microsoft Documentation: Enforce on-premises Azure AD Password Protection for Active Directory Domain Services)
- Implementing single sign-on (SSO) (Microsoft Documentation: What is single sign-on in Azure Active Directory?)
- Integrate single sign on (SSO) and identity providers
- Recommend and enforce modern authentication protocols (Microsoft Documentation: Block legacy authentication with Azure AD with Conditional Access)
Manage authorization by using Microsoft Entra ID
- Configure Azure role permissions for management groups, subscriptions, resource groups, and resources (Microsoft Documentation: What are Azure management groups)
- Assign built-in roles in Microsoft Entra ID
- Assign built-in roles in Azure
- Create and assign custom roles, including Azure roles and Microsoft Entra roles
- Implement and manage Microsoft Entra Permissions Management (Microsoft Documentation: What’s Permissions Management?)
- Configure Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
- Configure role management and access reviews by using Microsoft Entra (Microsoft Documentation: What are access reviews?)
- Implement Conditional Access policies (Microsoft Documentation: What is Conditional Access?)
Manage application access in Microsoft Entra ID
- Manage access to enterprise applications in Microsoft Entra ID, including OAuth permission grants (Microsoft Documentation: Grant tenant-wide admin consent to an application)
- Manage app registrations in Microsoft Entra ID
- Configure app registration permission scopes (Microsoft Documentation: Introduction to permissions and consent)
- Managing app registration permission consent (Microsoft Documentation: Configure how users consent to applications)
- Manage and use service principals (Microsoft Documentation: Application and service principal objects in Azure Active Directory)
- Manage managed identities for Azure resources (Microsoft Documentation: What are managed identities for Azure resources?)
- Recommend when to use and configure an Microsoft Entra Application Proxy, including authentication
Secure networking (20–25%)
Plan and Implement security for virtual networks
- Plan and implement Network Security Groups (NSGs) and Application Security Groups (ASGs) (Microsoft Documentation: Application security groups, Network security groups)
- Plan and implement user-defined routes (UDRs)
- Planning and implement VNET peering or VPN gateway (Microsoft Documentation: Configure a VNet-to-VNet VPN gateway connection by using the Azure portal)
- Plan and implement Virtual WAN, including a secured virtual hub (Microsoft Documentation: What is a secured virtual hub?)
- Secure VPN connectivity, including point-to-site and site-to-site (Microsoft Documentation: About Point-to-Site VPN, Create a site-to-site VPN connection)
- Implement encryption over ExpressRoute (Microsoft Documentation: ExpressRoute encryption)
- Configure firewall settings on PaaS resources (Microsoft Documentation: Configure Azure Storage firewalls and virtual networks)
- Monitor network security by using Network Watcher, including NSG flow logging (Microsoft Documentation: Introduction to flow logs for network security groups, Log network traffic to and from a virtual machine using the Azure portal)
Plan and implement security for private access to Azure resources
- Plan and implement virtual network Service Endpoints (Microsoft Documentation: Virtual Network service endpoints)
- Planning and implement Private Endpoints (Microsoft Documentation: What is a private endpoint?)
- Plan and implement Private Link services (Microsoft Documentation: What is Azure Private Link?)
- Plan and implement network integration for Azure App Service and Azure Functions
- Plan and implement network security configurations for an App Service Environment (ASE) (Microsoft Documentation: Networking considerations for App Service Environment, App Service Environment networking)
- Planning and implement network security configurations for an Azure SQL Managed Instance (Microsoft Documentation: Azure SQL Database and SQL Managed Instance security capabilities, Azure SQL Database security features)
Plan and implement security for public access to Azure resources
- Plan and implement Transport Layer Security (TLS) to applications, including Azure App Service and API Management (Microsoft Documentation: Add and manage TLS/SSL certificates in Azure App Service)
- Plan and implement, and manager an Azure Firewall including Azure Firewall Manager and firewall policies (Microsoft Documentation: What is Azure Firewall Manager?)
- Plan and implement an Azure Application Gateway (Microsoft Documentation: Application Gateway infrastructure configuration)
- Plan and implement an Azure Front Door, including Content Delivery Network (CDN)
- Plan and implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) (Microsoft Documentation: What is Azure Web Application Firewall?)
- Recommend when to use Azure DDoS Protection Standard (Microsoft Documentation: Azure DDoS Protection)
Secure compute, storage, and databases (20–25%)
Plan and implement advanced security for compute
- Plan and implement remote access to public endpoints, including Azure Bastion and just-in-time (JIT) virtual machine (VM) access (Microsoft Documentation: What is Azure Bastion?, Plan for virtual machine remote access)
- Configure network isolation for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) (Microsoft Documentation: Network concepts for applications in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS))
- Secure and monitor AKS (Microsoft Documentation: Monitoring Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) with Azure Monitor)
- Configuring authentication for AKS (Microsoft Documentation: Access and identity options for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS))
- Configure security monitoring for Azure Container Instances (ACIs)
- Configure security monitoring for Azure Container Apps (ACAs)
- Manage access to Azure Container Registry (ACR) (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Container Registry roles and permissions)
- Configure disk encryption, including Azure Disk Encryption (ADE), encryption as host, and confidential disk encryption (Microsoft Documentation: Overview of managed disk encryption options, Azure Disk Encryption for Windows VMs)
- Recommend security configurations for Azure API Management (Microsoft Documentation: Azure security baseline for API Management)
Plan and implement security for storage
- Configure access control for storage accounts (Microsoft Documentation: Authorize access to data in Azure Storage)
- Manage life cycle for storage account access keys (Microsoft Documentation: Optimize costs by automatically managing the data lifecycle)
- Selecting and configure an appropriate method for access to Azure Files (Microsoft Documentation: Mount SMB Azure file share on Windows)
- Select and configure an appropriate method for access to Azure Blob Storage (Microsoft Documentation: Authorize access to blobs using Azure Active Directory, Choose how to authorize access to blob data in the Azure portal)
- Select and configure an appropriate method for access to Azure Tables (Microsoft Documentation: Authorize access to tables using Azure Active Directory)
- Selecting and configure an appropriate method for access to Azure Queues (Microsoft Documentation: Get started with Azure Queue Storage using .NET)
- Select and configure appropriate methods for protecting against data security threats, including soft delete, backups, versioning, and immutable storage (Microsoft Documentation: Store business-critical blob data with immutable storage, Data protection overview)
- Configure Bring your own key (BYOK) (Microsoft Documentation: Bring your own key (BYOK) details for Azure Information Protection)
- Enable double encryption at the Azure Storage infrastructure level (Microsoft Documentation: Enable infrastructure encryption for double encryption of data)
Plan and implement security for Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance
- Enable database authentication by using Microsoft Entra ID
- Enable database auditing (Microsoft Documentation: Auditing for Azure SQL Database and Azure Synapse Analytics)
- Identify use cases for the Microsoft Purview governance portal (Microsoft Documentation: What’s available in the Microsoft Purview governance portal?)
- Implement data classification of sensitive information by using the Microsoft Purview governance portal (Microsoft Documentation: Data classification in the Microsoft Purview governance portal)
- Plan and implement dynamic masking (Microsoft Documentation: Dynamic Data Masking)
- Implement Transparent Database Encryption (TDE) (Microsoft Documentation: Transparent data encryption (TDE))
- Recommend when to use Azure SQL Database Always Encrypted (Microsoft Documentation: Always Encrypted)
Manage security operations (25–30%)
Plan, implement, and manage governance for security
- Create, assign, and interpret security policies and initiatives in Azure Policy (Microsoft Documentation: What is Azure Policy?)
- Configure security settings by using Azure Blueprint (Microsoft Documentation: What is Azure Blueprints?)
- Deploy secure infrastructures by using a landing zone (Microsoft Documentation: What is an Azure landing zone?)
- Create and configure an Azure Key Vault (Microsoft Documentation: About Azure Key Vault)
- Recommend when to use a dedicated Hardware Security Module (HSM) (Microsoft Documentation: What is Azure Dedicated HSM?)
- Configure access to Key Vault, including vault access policies and Azure Role-Based Access Control (Microsoft Documentation: Provide access to Key Vault keys, certificates, and secrets)
- Manage certificates, secrets, and keys (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Key Vault keys, secrets and certificates overview)
- Configure key rotation (Microsoft Documentation: Configure cryptographic key auto-rotation in Azure Key Vault)
- Configure backup and recovery of certificates, secrets, and keys
Manage security posture by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Identify and remediate security risks by using the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Secure Score and Inventory (Microsoft Documentation: Security posture for Microsoft Defender for Cloud)
- Assess compliance against security frameworks and Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Documentation: Improve your regulatory compliance)
- Add industry and regulatory standards to Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Add custom initiatives to Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Documentation: Create custom Azure security initiatives and policies)
- Connect hybrid cloud and multi-cloud environments to Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Documentation: What is Microsoft Defender for Cloud?)
- Identify and monitor external assets by using Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Configure and manage threat protection by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Enable workload protection services in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, including Microsoft Defender for Storage, Databases, Containers, App Service, Key Vault, Resource Manager, and DNS
- Configure Microsoft Defender for Servers (Microsoft Documentation: Onboard Windows servers to the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint service)
- Configure Microsoft Defender for Azure SQL Database (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft Defender for SQL)
- Manage and respond to security alerts in Microsoft Defender for Cloud (Microsoft Documentation: Manage and respond to security alerts in Microsoft Defender for Cloud)
- Configure workflow automation by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Evaluate vulnerability scans from Microsoft Defender for Server (Microsoft Documentation: Defender for Cloud’s integrated Qualys vulnerability scanner for Azure and hybrid machines)
Configure and manage security monitoring and automation solutions
- Monitor security events by using Azure Monitor (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Monitor overview)
- Configure data connectors in Microsoft Sentinel (Microsoft Documentation: Microsoft Sentinel data connectors)
- Create and customize analytics rules in Microsoft Sentinel (Microsoft Documentation: Create custom analytics rules to detect threats)
- Evaluate alerts and incidents in Microsoft Sentinel (Microsoft Documentation: Investigate incidents with Microsoft Sentinel)
- Configure automation in Microsoft Sentinel
Start preparing for AZ-500 exam using the AZ-500 Study Guide!
2. Resources to supplement your learning
Achieving success in the exam can become straightforward when you have access to the appropriate resources. It’s crucial to ensure that the content is accurate and trustworthy. Your choice of study materials will significantly impact your preparation and likelihood of passing the exam. Therefore, exercising caution in selecting your preparatory resources is essential.
– Instructor Led Training
Instructor-led training refers to online learning sessions led by industry experts or certified instructors. This type of training offers significant advantages for individuals with busy schedules. It provides on-demand classrooms, allowing you to schedule classes at your convenience and learn at your own pace. Instructor-led training aids candidates in addressing their weaknesses, thereby improving their chances of passing the exam. The Training offered by microsoft for this course is Course AZ-500T00-A: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies
– Books your best friends
Books are a fundamental element in certification preparation and have been a reliable method for a long time. There is an abundance of AZ-500 books available in the market, and these resources can significantly enhance your exam readiness. Here are some of the commonly recommended books:
- Pro Azure Governance and Security by Peter De Tender
- Microsoft Azure Security Infrastructure by Yuri Diogenes
– Online Tutorials & Study Guide
Online Tutorials provide you descriptive details about the exam and its policies. They help in mastering the exam concepts and ease your preparations. Remember that cheat sheet is not sufficient for qualifying the exam. You must begin your preparations with AZ-500 Online Tutorials. Further, you need to maintain consistency in your revisions. Therefore to stay on the right track you must refer Study Guides for AZ-500 exam.
2. Practice Test are your way ahead
The AZ-500 practice exams are the final piece of advice for your study manual. By simulating a genuine exam, practice exams help by enhancing learning. They offer speedy results and thorough reports on the candidate’s performance, which ultimately aids the candidate in identifying their areas of strength and weakness across several disciplines. To maintain track of your preparations, take additional practice exams. Aim to do better on each exam going forward. As a result, you’ll feel more confident and be prepared for exams. Start Practising Now!
Final Words
Passing the AZ-500 exam and earning the Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate certification can open up career opportunities and demonstrate expertise in Azure security. It is essential to have a solid understanding of Azure services and tools, security concepts and principles, and effective time management skills during the exam.
After passing the exam, candidates can explore advanced Azure security certifications or consider gaining hands-on experience in real-world scenarios. Additionally, staying up-to-date with the latest Azure security features and updates is crucial in maintaining expertise in the field.
Get ready to Practice and Prepare for Microsoft Azure Security Technologies AZ-500 Exam Now!
