Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration

The MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administrator is responsible for securing Microsoft 365 corporate environments, responding to attacks, conducting investigations, and implementing data governance. The Microsoft 365 Security Administrator works with the Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator, market stakeholders, and other workload administrators to develop and execute security plans, as well as ensure that the solutions adhere to the organization’s rules and procedures. Candidates for this exam manage, install, and monitor Microsoft 365 and hybrid security and compliance systems.

Target Audience 

The Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration is aimed at IT professionals working with the task of a Microsoft 365 security administrator role. This position works with the Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator, business stakeholders, and other workload administrators to design and implement security measures while also ensuring that the solutions adhere to the organization’s rules and requirements.

Learning Objectives 

In order to prepare for the Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration, applicants need be aware of the objectives. Only weightings, test domains, and goals are included in the exam guide on Microsoft’s official website. Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration has the following objectives:

• Implement and manage identity and access (35—40%)
• Implement and manage threat protection (25—30%)
• Implement and manage information protection (10—15%)
• Manage governance and compliance features in Microsoft 365 (20—25%)

Learning Path 

Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration is a study path developed for persons who are familiar with Microsoft 365 workloads and have good skills and experience with identity protection, information security, threat protection, security management, and data governance. The applicant will become a Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate after completing the Microsoft MS-500 exam.

Exam Details 

• The Microsoft 365 Security Administration will come with the code MS-500.
• The exam is a perfect match for IT professionals who are indulged in implementing, managing, and monitoring security and compliance solutions for Microsoft 365 and hybrid environments.
• However, the Exam MS-500 contains 40-60 questions which will appear in the form of multiple-choice questions.
• The candidate will be given 120 minutes to complete the exam.
• Also, the exam is available in several languages such as English and Japanese.
• The Microsoft MS-500 passing score is 700 (on a scale of 1-1000). The examination cost is $165.00. 

Microsoft 365 Security Administration : MS-500 Interview Questions

Now let us look at Microsoft 365 Security Administration: MS-500 Interview Questions which would give you an idea as to what questions you should expect in the interview.

Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration Course Outline 

Microsoft has divided the syllabus into various sections. Exam MS-500 Microsoft 365 Security Administration includes its objectives and sub-topics in it. The detailed course outline is mentioned below:

Course Outline for Microsoft MS-500 Exam was updated on November 4, 2022.

1. Implement and manage identity and access (25-30%)

Plan and implement identity and access for Microsoft 365 hybrid environments

• Choose an authentication method to connect to a hybrid environment (Microsoft documentation: Choose the right authentication method for your Azure AD Hybrid)
• Plan and implement pass-through authentication and password hash sync (Microsoft documentation: Implement password hash synchronization, Pass-through Authentication)
• Plan and implement Azure AD synchronization for hybrid environments (Microsoft documentation: Configure hybrid Azure AD join, Plan your hybrid Azure Active Directory join implementation)
• Monitor and troubleshoot Azure AD Connect events (Microsoft documentation: Troubleshoot Azure AD Connect connectivity issues, Troubleshoot object synchronization with Azure AD Connect sync)

Plan and implement Identities in Azure AD

• Implement Azure AD group membership (Microsoft documentation: Create a basic group and add members using Azure Active Directory)
• Implement password management, including self-service password reset and Azure AD password protection (Microsoft documentation: Plan an Azure Active Directory self-service password reset deployment)
• Manage external identities in Azure AD and Microsoft 365 workloads (Microsoft documentation: External Identities in Azure Active Directory)
• Plan and implement roles and role groups
• Audit Azure AD

Implement authentication methods

• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) by using conditional access policies (Microsoft documentation: Conditional Access: Require MFA for all users)
• Manage and monitor MFA (Microsoft documentation: Manage user authentication methods for Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication)
• Plan and implement Windows Hello for Business, FIDO, and passwordless authentication

Plan and implement conditional access

• Plan and implement conditional access policies (Microsoft documentation: Plan a Conditional Access deployment)
• Plan and implement device compliance policies (Microsoft documentation: Use compliance policies to set rules for devices)
• Test and troubleshoot conditional access policies (Microsoft documentation: Troubleshooting Conditional Access using the What If tool)

Configure and manage identity governance

• Implement Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (Microsoft documentation: Azure AD Privileged Identity Management)
• Implement and manage entitlement management (Microsoft documentation: Azure AD entitlement management)
• Implement and manage access reviews (Microsoft documentation: Azure AD access reviews)

Implement Azure AD Identity Protection

• Implement user risk policy (Microsoft documentation: Configure and enable risk policies)
• Implement sign-in risk policy (Microsoft documentation: Use risk detections for user sign-ins to trigger Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication)
• Configure Identity Protection alerts (Microsoft documentation: Azure Active Directory Identity Protection notifications)
• Review and respond to risk events (Microsoft documentation: Remediate risks and unblock users)

2. Implement and manage threat protection (30-35%)

Secure identity by using Microsoft Defender for Identity

• Plan a Microsoft Defender for Identity solution (Microsoft documentation: Plan capacity for Microsoft Defender for Identity)
• Install and configure Microsoft Defender for Identity (Microsoft documentation: Install the Microsoft Defender for Identity sensor)
• Manage and monitor Microsoft Defender for Identity (Microsoft documentation: Microsoft Defender for Identity monitored activities)
• Secure score
• Analyze identity-related threats and risks identified in Microsoft 365 Defender

Secure endpoints by using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

• Plan a Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solution (Microsoft documentation: Plan your Microsoft Defender for Endpoint deployment)
• Implement Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (Microsoft documentation: Set up and configure Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1)
• Manage and monitor Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (Microsoft documentation: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint)
• Analyze and remediate threats and risks to endpoints identified in Microsoft 365 Defender

Secure endpoints by using Microsoft Endpoint Manager

• Plan for device and application protection (Microsoft documentation: App protection policies overview)
• Configure and manage Microsoft Defender Application Guard (Microsoft documentation: Application Guard Application Guard testing scenarios)
• Configure and manage Microsoft Defender Application Control (Microsoft documentation: Windows Defender Application Control management with Configuration Manager)
• Configure and manage exploit protection (Microsoft documentation: Enable exploit protection)
• Configure and manage device encryption (Microsoft documentation: Overview of BitLocker Device Encryption in Windows)
• Implement application protection policies (Microsoft documentation: How to create and assign app protection policies)
• Monitor and manage device security status using Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center (Microsoft documentation: Walkthrough Microsoft Intune admin center, Manage devices with endpoint security in Microsoft Intune)
• Analyze and remediate threats and risks to endpoints identified in Microsoft Endpoint Manager (Microsoft documentation: Enforce compliance for Microsoft Defender, Overview of automated investigations)

Secure collaboration by using Microsoft Defender for Office 365

• Plan a Microsoft Defender for Office 365 solution
• Configure Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (Microsoft documentation: Microsoft Defender for Office 365)
• Monitor for threats using Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (Microsoft documentation: Threat investigation and response)
• Analyze and remediate threats and risks to collaboration workloads identified in Microsoft 365 Defender (Microsoft documentation: Threat investigation and response)
• Conduct simulated attacks using Attack simulation training (Microsoft documentation: Get started using Attack simulation training in Defender for Office 365)

Detect and respond to threats in Microsoft 365 by using Microsoft Sentinel

• Plan a Microsoft Sentinel solution for Microsoft 365 (Microsoft documentation: What is Microsoft Sentinel?)
• Implement and configure Microsoft Sentinel for Microsoft 365 (Microsoft documentation: Onboard Microsoft Sentinel)
• Manage and monitor Microsoft 365 security by using Microsoft Sentinel
• Respond to threats using built-in playbooks in Microsoft Sentinel (Microsoft documentation: Use playbooks with automation rules in Microsoft Sentinel)

Secure connections to cloud apps by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

• Plan Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps implementation (Microsoft documentation: Get started with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps)
• Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (Microsoft documentation: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint integration with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps)
• Manage cloud app discovery (Microsoft documentation: Set up Cloud Discovery)
• Manage entries in the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps catalog (Microsoft documentation: Working with App risk scores)
• Manage apps in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (Microsoft documentation: Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps overview)
• Configure Microsoft Defender Cloud Apps connectors and OAuth apps (Microsoft documentation: OAuth app policies)
• Configure Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps policies and templates (Microsoft documentation: Get started with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps)
• Analyze and remediate threats and risks relating to cloud app connections identified in Microsoft 365 Defender
• Manage App governance in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

3. Implement and manage information protection (15-20%)

Manage sensitive information

• Plan a sensitivity label solution (Microsoft documentation: Learn about sensitivity labels)
• Create and manage sensitive information types (Microsoft documentation: Create custom sensitive information types in the Compliance center)
• Configure sensitivity labels and policies. (Microsoft documentation: Create and configure sensitivity labels and their policies)
• Publish sensitivity labels to Microsoft 365 workloads
• Monitor data classification and label usage by using Content explorer and Activity explorer (Microsoft documentation: Get started with content explorer, Get started with activity explorer)
• Apply labels to files and schematized data assets in Microsoft Purview Data Map (Microsoft documentation: Labeling in the Microsoft Purview Data Map)

Implement and manage Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

• Plan a DLP solution (Microsoft documentation: Learn about data loss prevention)
• Create and manage DLP policies for Microsoft 365 workloads (Microsoft documentation: Create a DLP policy from a template)
• Implement and manage Endpoint DLP (Microsoft documentation: Learn about Endpoint data loss prevention)
• Monitor DLP
• Respond to DLP alerts and notifications (Microsoft documentation: Configure and view alerts for data loss prevention polices, Send email notifications and show policy tips for DLP policies)

Plan and implement Microsoft Purview Data lifecycle management

• Plan for data lifecycle management (Microsoft documentation: Get started with data lifecycle management)
• Review and interpret data lifecycle management reports and dashboards (Microsoft documentation: How to use the Microsoft data classification dashboard)
• Configure retention labels, policies, and label policies (Microsoft documentation: Create and configure retention policies)
• Plan and implement adaptive scopes
• Configure retention in Microsoft 365 workloads (Microsoft documentation: Manage data retention in Microsoft 365 workloads)
• Find and recover deleted Office 365 data (Microsoft documentation: Recover deleted messages in a user’s mailbox in Exchange Online)

4. Manage compliance in Microsoft 365 (20- 25%)

Manage and analyze audit logs and reports in Microsoft Purview

• Plan for auditing and reporting (Microsoft documentation: Auditing solutions in Microsoft Purview)
• Investigate compliance activities by using audit logs (Microsoft documentation: Microsoft Purview Audit (Premium), Search the audit log in the compliance portal)
• Review and interpret compliance reports and dashboards (Microsoft documentation: Improve your regulatory compliance, How to use the Microsoft data classification dashboard)
• Configure alert policies (Microsoft documentation: Alert policies in Microsoft 365)
• Configure audit retention policies (Microsoft documentation: Manage audit log retention policies)

Plan for, conduct, and manage eDiscovery cases

• Recommend eDiscovery Standards or Premium (Microsoft documentation: Microsoft Purview eDiscovery solutions)
• Plan for content search and eDiscovery (Microsoft documentation: Create a content search, Microsoft Purview eDiscovery solutions)
• Delegate permissions to use search and discovery tools (Microsoft documentation: Assign eDiscovery permissions in the compliance portal, Assign eDiscovery permissions in Exchange Online)
• Use search and investigation tools to discover and respond
• Manage eDiscovery cases (Microsoft documentation: Create and manage an eDiscovery (Premium) case)

Manage regulatory and privacy requirements

• Plan for regulatory compliance in Microsoft 365 (Microsoft documentation: Microsoft 365 guidance for security & compliance, Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager)
• Manage regulatory compliance in the Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager (Microsoft documentation: Get started with Compliance Manager)
• Implement privacy risk management in Microsoft Priva (Microsoft documentation: Learn about Priva Privacy Risk Management)
• Implement and manage Subject Rights Requests in Microsoft Priva (Microsoft documentation: Learn about Priva Subject Rights Requests)

Manage insider risk solutions in Microsoft 365

• Implement and manage Customer Lockbox (Microsoft documentation: Microsoft Purview Customer Lockbox)
• Implement and manage communication compliance policies (Microsoft documentation: Create and manage communication compliance policies)
• Implement and manage Insider risk management policies (Microsoft documentation: Get started with insider risk management)
• Implement and manage information barrier policies (Microsoft documentation: Get started with information barriers)
• Implement and manage privileged access management (Microsoft documentation: Learn about privileged access management)

Exam Policies 

While preparing for the Microsoft MS-500 certification exam, the candidate should visit the Microsoft official site and refer o the Microsoft exam policies and try to understand them. The Microsoft policies provide information regarding basic information such as policies about retaking the exam, scheduling the exam, candidate appeal process, etc. 

Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration FAQ

Step-by-step Preparation Guide

Here is a step-by-step preparation guide for successfully passing the Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration. 

STEP 1: Microsoft Learning Platform

Microsoft provides a variety of learning routes; candidates can go to Microsoft’s official website for more information. There are several learning courses and documentations available for this test. It’s not difficult to find relevant material on the Microsoft website. They also offer a study guide for the MS-500 Microsoft 365 Security Administration exam.

STEP 2: Microsoft Documentation 

When studying for Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration, documentation is a valuable resource. The applicant will be able to obtain documentation on any topic related to the test. This step is very valuable in preparing for the exam.

STEP 3: Instructor-Led Training

Microsoft’s own training classes are accessible on the company’s website. Instructor-led training is a valuable resource for preparing for exams like the MS-500. On the Microsoft website, the applicant can locate the instructor-led training on the exam’s page. Prior to taking the test, you can take a variety of Microsoft MS-500 online training courses. The following is a list of Microsoft’s training programmes.

Course MS-500T00-A: Microsoft 365 Security Administration

Modules include:

• User and Group Protection
• Identity Synchronization
• Access Management
• Security in Microsoft 365
• Advanced Threat Protection
• Threat Management
• Mobility
• Information Protection
• Rights Management and Encryption
• Data Loss Prevention
• Cloud Application Security
• Compliance in Microsoft 365
• Archiving and Retention
• Content Search and Investigation

STEP 4: Join a Study Group 

For passing an exam like MS-500, the candidate needs to get and share knowledge. So, we are suggesting you join some study where you can discuss the concepts with the people who have the same goal. This will lead the candidate throughout their preparation.

STEP 5: Practice Test

The most important step is to try your hands on the practice test. Microsoft MS-500 Practice tests are the one which ensures the candidate about their preparation. There are many practice tests are available on the internet nowadays, the candidate can choose whichever they want. The Microsoft MS-500 practice exam test is very beneficial during the preparation.

Exam MS-500: Microsoft 365 Security Administration Free Practice Test